Where the Brave Go
by wuteva4eva456
Summary: 3rd part of How Could This Happen To Me. After hoping for news from the army on her missing husband for more than 2 years, Gabriella moves on and becomes engaged to Jeremy, her son's teacher. However, what happens when Troy shows up in Albuquerque alive?
1. Blessings and Disasters

A/N: This is the summary/first chapter of my new story. It's the sequel to Their Broken Road. Well, technically it's not a sequel, it's now a triolgy. Anyway, please read & review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing except this storyline, Connor, Ava, and Mrs. Bolton's first name.

Summary:

After another alarming attack on the U.S., Troy immediately signs up for the army, leaving Gabriella, their five year old son, Connor, and their baby daughter, Ava, behind. Soon, the alarming danger becomes too much for Gabriella to bear after a fateful call from the army informing her that Troy is a prisoner of war. Her worry turns to anguish after learning of a brutal slaying of a group of 12 POWs. She again hears from the army that they changed Troy's status from POW to missing. After a year and a half with no news, and two children to support, Gabriella starts to slowly begin to lose hope that her husband will come home. Several months pass after the end of the war and Gabriella, still waiting for news, accepts that Troy wouldn't be coming home. She moves back to Albuquerque with her children and soon meets a man named Jeremy. They start dating. He's good to her and her children, but she still feels as if she can't let go of Troy. Even after Jeremy proposes after a year of dating, she still feels an attachment to Troy that she can't explain. Then—unexpectedly—Troy, a weary and broken soldier, travels back to Albuquerque. His first stop is Gabriella's doorstep. How will she react? Will he be able to win her back?

Where the Brave Go

"Connor Jonathan Bolton! You will miss the bus if you do not come downstairs at this minute!" Gabriella Bolton yelled from the foot of her staircase at her son. He was upstairs busily brushing his teeth in his bathroom. He was going through an independency phase where he had to do everything for himself and to his liking.

At that moment, Connor Bolton rushed downstairs and grabbed his book bag from the hall closet and his carefully packed lunch from his mother. He blew her a kiss and said a quick, "Bye Mommy!" as he hurried outside to get on his kindergarten bus. This was Connor's third week of kindergarten, but he still had not gotten in the routine of getting up early. He was a late riser, like his father, Troy.

Gabriella watched Connor's bus leave and then turned her attention to her crying 6-month old daughter, Ava Caroline Bolton, who was laying on the living room floor on a soft pink blanket her grandmother had made her. Baby Ava was named after Gabriella's grandmother, Ava Maria, and Troy's mother, Caroline (Cara for short). Her daughter was a handful, but she was grateful everyday for having such a beautiful and healthy child. She was glad that Ava wasn't as restless and tiring as Connor was when he was born.

Gabriella carefully picked her wailing daughter up from the floor and went to the couch to sit down to give Ava her morning feeding. As Gabriella was getting Ava situated, Troy jogged down the stairs and into the living room. Gabriella looked up from Ava and smiled at her husband of 6 years. He was wearing a pair of tan slacks and a short-sleeved dress shirt that showed off his tanned arms. He bent down and kissed his wife and his daughter and smiled, "Good morning. How are my two favorite girls?"

Gabriella grinned back as she motioned to Ava who was sucking away at her feeding, "I'm fine, but Miss Ava is a little bit cranky this morning."

Troy chuckled. "I guess it's feeding time again, isn't it?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. Troy frequently teased her about breast-feeding their daughter. He affectionally referred to it as "feeding time at the zoo" because Ava was always crying for more milk after her feedings, like animals often do. She couldn't wait until Ava would start taking regular formula. She was getting tired of both breast-feeding and using the breast pump every day.

Gabriella chose to not respond and changed the subject, "What time do you have to be at work?"

Troy looked at his watch and said, "I'll have to leave in about 30 minutes, so I'll have to make breakfast quick."

Gabriella sighed. She hated forcing Ava off in the middle of her feedings, but she wanted to eat breakfast with Troy. It was just about the only time in the day they really got to spend together. Gabriella made Ava stop, but she soon started throwing a fit. Gabriella positioned her daughter upwards and placed a burping rag over her shoulder. She let Ava burp out some milk and then stood up to grab a bottle that she had in the refrigerator. She quickly put it into the boiling water she had out and let it set for a bit while Gabriella continued burping Ava.

Troy, however, was busy preparing two plates from the skillet that Gabriella had made scrambled eggs and bacon in. As Troy was finishing, Gabriella tested the bottle on the inside of her palm; it was warm. She then repositioned her daughter and started feeding her the bottle. She quickly finished it and started to settle down. When she was finished with the bottle, Gabriella handed Ava and the rag over to Troy to burp her. Troy put the rag over his shoulder and positioned his daughter. Troy smiled at Gabriella and started to gently pat Ava's back. Gabriella looked in awe of Troy's amazing talent of calming Ava down. Ava would usually squirm when Gabriella burped her, but when her daddy burped her, she would be still. Ava was such a daddy's girl. She had plenty of Troy's features, such as his soft blue eyes and his prominent nose; but she was also a strong willed and stubborn little girl. When she wanted to do something, she wouldn't take no for an answer—just like her father.

Connor, however, was the complete opposite of Ava. He was an easy going and bright child. He had light brown hair and eyes that were brown like Gabriella's. Connor was quite the athlete too. He had been practicing basketball with his grandpa Jack ever since the family moved back to Albuquerque. He had also joined a team at the YMCA that Troy helped coach.

Gabriella quickly ate her breakfast and took Ava so that Troy could eat his also. They were following a strict routine that helped Gabriella and Troy care for their children. The art of their relationship was cooperation. They would take turns getting up in the night to tend to Ava, changing diapers, feeding her, etc. They also worked out a routine that was much like their routine in college. Troy would work at his 9 to 5 job and come home to eat dinner, and on even numbered days, Gabriella would leave after dinner to go to work at the hospital as an ER nurse. Since Gabriella and Troy were both only 23 years old, they were not paid as highly as some of their other coworkers due to their lack of experience, so they needed Gabriella to go back to work a month after she had Ava. They struggled to pay many bills that they had, including the mortgage for their 4 bedroom and 2 bathroom home that they bought on an impulse. Their house was the one thing that they were very pleased with. Their house was spacious, but it was cozy enough to make into their first home.

As Troy was finishing up, Gabriella placed Ava on her blanket and surrounded her with throw pillows so she wouldn't roll over. She then turned to Troy and started helping to clean the dishes. They quickly finished and Troy leaned in and kissed his wife.

"I'll see you at 5:30, Gabi. Love you," he said as he grabbed his keys and walked towards the door to the connecting garage.

"Bye Troy. I love you, too," Gabriella responded as she watched Troy walk out the door. She was now alone with Ava. She then turned to her daughter and smiled. Gabriella picked her up and walked over towards the CD rack and grabbed a CD Ryan made with his Broadway cast for Troy and her. That's right. Ryan was now a Broadway performer. He had a part in the musical, Rent, as a thug and also as a homeless man. Even though Ryan wasn't grabbing starring roles, he was still doing pretty well for himself. He has been with his current girlfriend, Jessica, for about two years. She was also a performer. Sharpay, who was working at East High as the drama teacher, told Gabriella that he was thinking about proposing to her. She smiled at the thought. She always hoped Ryan would find a girl one day.

Gabriella turned her attention to the CD player and put in Ryan's track. Ava seemed to like listening to this CD, so she would play it every so often instead of Ava's Dora the Explorer or Barney CD's.

Gabriella then settled Ava back on her blanket and watched her daughter squirm to the music. She smiled at how much Ava seemed to like the music. _She might turn out to love music as much as her daddy and me_, Gabriella thought.

Gabriella watched her daughter for a few minutes longer and then got up to turn it to a different track. She then stood up to get a load of finished laundry that she had to fold. When she came back, she grabbed the remote control and turned it to the 10 o'clock news. Gabriella gasped out at what she saw.

Flashing on the news was footage and captions exclaiming the U.S. Capitol Building was bombed. Gabriella cried out in anguish as she watched footage replaying over and over of several bombs blasting the building from the inside out.

Gabriella rushed over to her daughter and picked her up, hoping to shield her from any harm. "This cannot be happening! Not again."

A/N: I'm not very pleased with this chapter, but trust me; it will get better. I promise. Review!


	2. Perfect Life

**Recap:**

**Flashing on the news was footage and captions exclaiming the U.S. Capitol Building was bombed. Gabriella cried out in anguish as she watched footage replaying over and over of several bombs blasting the building from the inside out.**

Gabriella rushed over to her daughter and picked her up, hoping to shield her from any harm. "This cannot be happening! Not again."

Chapter 2

Gabriella silently cried as she sank to the floor with Ava in her arms. She cradled her daughter as several tears rushed down her face. When the first terrorist attack happened in 2001, she remembered feeling so scared. Gabriella remembered her mother being so strong during the several hours of panic. Gabriella, as a 13-year-old girl, didn't fully understand what had happened that day. All she really knew was that planes had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. She didn't understand why it happened or who did it, but she remembered feeling uncertain and panicked about the future. She was influenced by her mother's reaction: to be strong. She tried not to focus on the attack, but on repairing the emotional blow to her country that she always thought would be protected from any attack. In her mind, only other countries were attacked--not her country. Yet, once again, she had been proven wrong.

As she sat on the floor, staring mindlessly at the television, she heard her cell phone's blaring ringtone. She carefully got up and set Ava down on her blanket. She then went to the side table in the living room to answer her call. Gabriella glanced at the caller I.D. It was Troy.

Gabriella sniffled and wiped her tear-stained face with the back of her hand. "Hello?" she asked softly.

"Gabi! Are you okay? How's Ava? The Capitol was just bombed!" Troy exclaimed as Gabriella glanced at the T.V. screen. It wasn't a hoax. She wasn't dreaming. This was happening.

Gabriella paused and started trying to sound calm, "I'm fine, Troy. Ava is fine, also. I saw the footage of the Capitol's ruins on T.V."

Gabriella heard Troy sigh and say, "Thank God you and Ava are fine. I know it's silly, but I'm just so scared that they are going to come and bomb Albuquerque also."

"It's not silly, Troy. I'm scared too," Gabriella admitted softly. She wasn't just scared—she was _terrified_.

"Everything will be fine, Gabi. I'm taking the rest of the day off. I'll be home as soon as I can," Troy said gently and convincingly. "I love you, honey."

Gabriella let out a sigh and said, "I love you, too."

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

Chad, who was sitting in his armchair in his apartment, sighed loudly. _How could this happen a second time? What happened to the beefed up security we were supposed to have? _Chad thought.

Chad couldn't stand. He felt like he was bound to his chair. He couldn't get over the shock of being attacked by terrorists a second time. The news station was reporting that the FBI apprehended several Al-Qaeda terrorists, who were disguised as tourists. He wasn't sure what to think about this situation. In the first attack, he had his parents to talk to and to seek advice from. Now that he was on his own, he had no idea what to do. All he could think to do was to sit in his chair, with his eyes glued to the T.V. screen. For a while, it seemed to work for him.

As Chad was contemplating getting up, he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He reached into his jean side pocket and pulled out his phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Chad? It's me, Gabi."

Chad sighed. He was happy to hear from Gabriella. He hadn't talked to her for it seemed like weeks. Now more than ever, he needed to hear another voice other than the one in his head.

"Hey Gabs. Are you okay? How's Troy and the kids?" Chad asked anxiously. For some reason, when a national disaster happens, a person seems to feel the need to ask the other how he or she is doing—even if he or she is no where near the danger.

"I'm fine Chad. We're all fine. What about you? Are you okay?"

"I am alright, Gabs. I'm just a little shook up. That's all," he said convincingly as he slowly got up from his armchair and walked towards his window. He sighed as he looked out onto the streets of Berkeley, California. He was now going to law school at the University of California, Berkeley. He was a good student and he was working hard. He couldn't wait to graduate in two years.

Gabriella was silent the whole time he was thinking. He snapped out of his thoughts and questioned, "Gabi…did you want to talk?"

Gabriella slowly exhaled and started, "Chad…I'm worried about what this means."

Chad nodded in agreement and said, "I am too."

"What if there is an even bigger war than the last one?" she asked worriedly.

Chad pondered the question and began, "If there is a bigger war, than I'm sure that America will pretty much be in danger all the time," he said honestly.

Gabriella slowly realized what that would mean. Her family would be in constant danger.

"Chad, we don't even know when we might be attacked again. The next time, it could hurt the economy even worse than when 9/1l happened. Chad, if the economy falls, Troy would be out of his job and then we'd be even worse off financially," she said, feeling almost hopeless.

"Gabs, everything will turn out okay. Even if something bad does happen, you still have your family and friends," Chad said trying to be soothing.

Gabriella sighed and admitted, "You're right, but I'm still worried."

"I knew you would still be," he said softly. "Hey Gabs…um…I sort of have to get going. I need to go to work. I'll talk to you later though. Tell Troy hi for me."

"I will Chad," Gabriella responded. "Thanks for talking. You were a big help."

"No problem," Chad replied. "See ya."

"Bye."

Gabriella quickly hung up her phone and sat down next to where Ava was laying. She glanced at her cell phone's digital clock. It was almost 11:30. Troy would be coming home soon. She was comforted by the fact that they would be able to eat lunch together again—just like in college. Everything was so relaxed in college. Troy and Gabriella were deeply in love and they had a beautiful child that they also loved greatly. They didn't have to worry as much about expenses or housing because of scholarships they both ended up receiving. Yes—everything was perfect in college.

A/N: I don't mean to get political, but after President Bush leaves office, I'm betting a Democrat will take over and he—or she—will put a stop to the war; that will mean that the War on Terrorism will have ended by the time this story starts—2013.


	3. Life Decisions

Later that day, Troy was clearing the dinner table as Gabriella was rinsing dishes off and putting them into the dishwasher—just as they would do on any normal day. Only today, the surroundings were tense and everyone seemed jittery—even Ava who had picked up on her parents anxiety. The pressure added when Connor came home from school hysterical and believing that evil aliens were going to bomb his home. Troy had to calm him down and explain that aliens weren't going to bomb his house. Connor seemed convinced after Troy promised him that they would set up a fort in the living room and "alien traps" around the house to make sure that aliens wouldn't try anything. Gabriella and Troy later learned that the teachers were listening to the radio during class and a radio talk show host was ranting about illegal aliens. Connor had picked up on 'illegal aliens' and thought the host had said 'evil aliens.'

Connor was now in the living room, getting a head start on the several traps that would catch an alien. One of the traps, a large fishing net Jack had lend Connor last summer that Troy had forgotten to return, surrounded the glass cover on the fireplace. As Connor was building the traps, Ava was "helping" by knocking down the several blocks that Connor had put in front of the doorway.

Just as the pair made the finishing touches on the traps, the doorbell rang. Troy set down the plate he was holding and hurried to answer the door. At the door, it was Zeke.

"Hey Troy," Zeke said tiredly. "How's it going?"

Troy stared at Zeke with a very confused look on his face. "Zeke…what are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming back until Christmas and its like…September."

Zeke nodded and said, "Can I come in for a second?"

Troy realized that he was being rude and he quickly stammered and led Zeke into the house. He glanced over at Gabriella who was equally intrigued as he was as to why Zeke was here. Gabriella dried her hands and joined Troy and Zeke who were standing in the foyer.

"Hi Zeke. We weren't expecting you," Gabriella said as she gave him a quick hug.

Zeke smiled and said, "Yeah. Sorry for not calling, but my flight from Kansas City had to land here. With the bombings and all, the airline didn't want to take any chances."

"Oh," Gabriella said softly. "Do you have a place to stay?"

Zeke shifted his weight uncomfortably and said, "Um…that's why I'm here. I left my wallet and checkbook in a pair of pants that I wore last night. The pants are in my suitcase, which is now being searched and held for a couple of days by airport security. Now I have no money, clothes, or a place to stay. So, I was wondering if I could stay with you guys until I can get my suitcases back."

Troy and Gabriella glanced at each other and Gabriella said, "Zeke, of course you can stay here."

Zeke smiled and nodded towards the kids. "What are they doing?"

Troy and Gabriella's smiles dropped and Troy dully responded, "They are setting traps for the terrorists."

Zeke gave them a surprised look. "They know about that?"

Gabriella nodded, "Connor found out in school."

"Oh," Zeke responded. He nervously fiddled with his hands and looked around the house. "The place looks great. I mean, the last time I saw it, you guys were still baby-proofing everything."

Troy nodded and said, "Thanks. We're still trying to update a few things, but I think we have the house just the way we want it."

Zeke flashed a smile quickly and continued to scan the living room. He was shifting his weight from one foot the other. Troy picked up on Zeke's nervousness and said, "Are you OK, man? You seem kind of tense."

Zeke looked at Gabriella and then glanced over at Ava and Connor. He then darted his eyes straight back to Troy. "I'm just tired. Can I go crash for a little bit?"

Troy nodded and showed him to the guest room. In one motion, Zeke kicked off his shoes, crawled into the bed, and went to sleep. Troy quietly shut the lights off and went back to the living room. Gabriella gave him a inquisitive look but remained silent.

Two hours later, Troy was watching some late night talk show while drinking a beer. Gabriella and the kids had already went to bed and Zeke was still sleeping. He had really wanted to talk with Zeke to see what was wrong with him, but he had yet to show his face.

As Troy was getting sick of Jay Leno's face, Zeke appeared from the hall. Troy looked Zeke over and noticed that he looked pale and exhausted.

"Hey," Zeke said quietly so that he wouldn't wake everyone.

"Hey," Troy responded and held up his half empty beer bottle. "Want one?'

Zeke grinned and said, "You know I can't turn down a free beer."

Troy chuckled and got up to retrieve a bottle from the refridgerator.

"How'd you sleep?" Troy asked as he handed the beer to his long-time friend.

"Um…alright," Zeke responded as he opened the bottle.

Troy nodded and took a drink. Zeke did the same with his beer. They sat staring at Jay Leno ranting about the latest celebrity to go get arrested. Finally, Troy broke the silence.

"Dude, what's with you?"

"What do you mean?" Zeke asked confused.

"I mean, you're acting as anxious as a drug addict on an LA street corner."

Zeke laughed, "What kind of metaphor is that?"

Troy chuckled at his remark and said, "Seriously, though. What's your deal? Is it the whole terrorist bullshit or what?"

Zeke nodded, "Yeah, I guess it is."

"What's got you so rattled, man?" Troy asked as he took another drink of his beer

"Well…" Zeke started. "I guess I'm just thinking about enlisting."

"What?" Troy asked alertly as he choked on his beer.

"I've been thinking about it for a while now…even before this happened."

"Wow…I mean, this is big," Troy stated as he set his beer down. "You've got a great job, Zeke. I mean you own your own restaurant. Why do you wanna enlist?"

"Man, it's hard to explain," Zeke said as he sat down. "I guess I want to be apart of something. The only thing that I can really think about being apart of was the basketball team at East High. I've always wanted to do something that I'll be remembered for, but I've never got the chance. Do you get what I'm saying?"

Troy nodded silently. He processed what Zeke said and the more he went over it, the more he seemed to understand. "Zeke, I think I want to do it too."

"Do what?" Zeke asked.

"Enlist."


	4. For Better or For Worse

Sorry readers. I forgot to explain why I was so delayed getting last chapter out. Well...I really don't have an excuse, except that I got caught up in finals and school. Now that school and Driver's Ed are out, I have the energy and motivation to start cranking out the chapters. I'll be pulling some all-nighters just to make up for my absence now. Yay!

"Troy, you need to think about this. You have a wife and two kids and they need you. You don't need to prove anything. Don't do this," Zeke told his friend frantically.

Troy shook his head and responded, "Zeke, you said it yourself. You felt like there was something missing in your life and that's exactly how I feel. I just couldn't put my finger on exactly what was missing. This makes sense to me. I think that now, more than ever, I need to enlist."

"Man, you have everything. You don't need to go off searching for something that's right here. If you want an adventure, than go see Star Wars. You don't need to go off getting yourself hurt or killed in some foreign country," Zeke said pleadingly.

"Why are you trying to talk me out of this, Zeke?" Troy asked him. "I want to do something for me and for my country. What's so wrong with wanting to do the right thing?"

"Troy, you can't just up and say, 'Oh, I think I'll enlist today.' You just can't do that to Gabriella," Zeke responded.

Troy again shook his head. "I know Gabi will be worried, but she'll understand. I mean, her grandfather was in the Marines and they are so proud of him. I want my family to be proud of me too."

Zeke shook his head in disagreement. "Your family is proud of you, Troy. You played college ball, you have kids and a wife, and you have a good job. Isn't that good enough?"

"No, Zeke. I need to do this. I mean, just listening to these talk shows and listening to the need of soldiers to fight, I think I can do it."

Zeke sighed, "Okay. I guess there's no use arguing with you anymore. You've made up your mind."

"I have," Troy responded.

Zeke got up and started for the hall. Suddenly, a figure appeared from the shadows. The figure was Gabriella in her old long pink bathrobe over her flannel PJ bottoms and oversized tee.

Zeke was slightly surprised. "Jesus, Gabi."

"Sorry, Zeke. I didn't mean to scare you."

"You're fine. Goodnight you guys," Zeke said as he quietly climbed the stairs to the guestroom.

"Goodnight," Gabriella responded softly after Zeke. She then turned her attention towards Troy. "Troy…I was listening to what you were telling Zeke. Are you going to enlist?"

Troy nodded. "I want to."

"Weren't you going to even ask me what I thought about it?" Gabriella demanded trying to keep her voice quiet.

"Gabi…" Troy started.

Gabriella interrupted, "You can't just sweet talk yourself out of this Troy Bolton. I want a say in this."

"You do have a say," Troy responded.

"It didn't sound like it from where I was standing. All I heard was 'Gabi will understand' and how you want to be just like my grandpa," she said as she shook her head.

"Why can't you understand?" Troy asked as he stood up.

Gabriella uncrossed her arms and started towards Troy. "Because Troy," she said tiredly. "Because I don't want you to get hurt. You know my grandpa got hurt during the war."

Troy shook his head, "The bullet just grazed his leg, Gabi. He hardly even has a scar to show for it anymore."

"I know, but this is going to be even worse than the Korean, Troy. I just know it will be," Gabriella responded as she massaged her temples.

Troy sighed and started, "I know you're worried, but this is something I need to do. Gabi, I've looked into the military before and there are so many benefits. We can finally get medical insurance and we won't have as high of taxes if I were a veteran. Even better, after I serve, I'll still be able to get my old job back."

"I don't care about taxes or medical insurance, Troy!" Gabriella exclaimed.

Troy put his finger to his lips and stated, "The kids, Gabi."

Gabriella ignored him, "You are going to quit your job to enlist into the military where you will have a huge chance on getting killed. Medical insurance and lower taxes won't even come close to making up the fact that I could loose you any day."

"I know, Gabi," Troy said quietly as he sat up.

"I don't think you do know, Troy! You're acting as if this is the greatest thing you could do with your life," Gabriella shot back.

Troy, who was moderately upset, paused before he spoke. He then said slowly, "I don't want to fight about this. I just was hoping that you would understand and maybe support me in this."

Gabriella frowned and started, "I want to support you, Troy, but I'm so worried about what this means. I don't…" Gabriella paused and took a slow breath. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Tenderly smiling, Troy stood up and responded, "I won't get hurt."

"You don't know that, Troy!" Gabriella exclaimed as tears streamed down her face.

Troy glanced down at the floor and dully stated, "You're right. I don't know that, but even if I do, we'll be okay."

Gabriella brushed away her tears and stood up. She sniffled and responded stiffly," I'm not convinced, but I see that this is something you really want to do."

Troy nodded and hesitantly inched towards his wife. He started to embrace her, but she pushed him away. "Don't Troy. I just need some time," she cautioned as she turned towards the stairway.

Troy, discouraged, cleaned up the two abandoned beer bottles and turned off the muted TV. He then turned off the lights and walked up the stairs wearily to his and Gabriella's room. He blindly groped his way to the bathroom and flickered on the lights. Before shutting the bathroom door, he looked over at his and Gabriella's bed and saw her huddled up under the covers. He noticed the faint sound of her sniffle from crying. Troy couldn't help but wonder if he was being selfish by enlisting or if he was really doing this for his family.


	5. Conflicting Feelings

A/N: Sorry readers. I'm horrible at updating. The first story was so easy, since I was a new member, I had the whole story planned out, and I loved writing. The buzz of writing has worn off, however. I appreciate the encouragement!

Last time: Before shutting the bathroom door, he looked over at his and Gabriella's bed and saw her huddled up under the covers. He noticed the faint sound of her sniffle from crying. Troy couldn't help but wonder if he was being selfish by enlisting or if he was really doing this for his family.

Chapter 5: Conflicting Feelings

A few days after Zeke came, he soon left. Before he left however, both he and Troy decided to enlist together. They decided to enlist in the army for one tour of duty, and decide later on whether or not they would like to continue. The tour would be about 15 months long. Neither man was sure where they would be going.

About six weeks after Zeke and Troy's enlistment, they were ready to go to basic training. They would be sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for their training and in nine weeks, after their graduation from basic training, they would be ready to start their tours.

As Troy packed for his flight to Fort Knox, which he would be leaving for in a matter of hours, he anxiously thought about how much he could do for others in the army. He thought of his life post-army and how much of a difference Troy would be making in his children's lives. He could be their hero. He was defending the country for them—and Gabriella.

"Gabi," Troy whispered under his breath as he shoved his t-shirt in his bag. Gabriella was visibly upset about Troy's enlistment. She would often cry herself to sleep in worry for Troy. Troy knew that this was tearing her up, but he wished she could understand that he was doing this for her. _She just doesn't understand._ Troy thought miserably.

"All set?" A voice from the bedroom door asked. Troy turned his head to the voice. It was his mother's.

Troy nodded slowly as he zipped up the bag. He smiled softly at his mother. She was just as worried as Gabriella was, but she was fully supportive of his enlistment. Troy stood up straight and walked towards the door.

"Troy," Cara said softly. "Before you leave, I want you to know how proud of you I am."

Troy smiled. "Thanks Mom. I really appreciate the support. If only you could convince Gabriella to do the same…"

Cara sighed. "Troy, you need to give her time. She loves you, and she doesn't want you to leave."

"But Mom, you love me too and I know you don't want me to leave either, but you understand my decision—Gabi doesn't."

Cara shook her head. "It's different for me, Troy. I'm your mother. Gabriella's your wife. I'm forced to let you go, but Gabriella was planning on spending the rest of her life with you. She's worried that you might foil her plans."

Troy sighed. "I'll be fine. She doesn't need to worry."

Cara rolled her eyes. "Troy, Gabriella and I are women. All we do is worry."

Troy chuckled at his mother's remark. "Well, I wish she wouldn't work herself up over it. I want her to focus on the kids, not on me."

"You made that kind of tough on her then, Bud." Cara replied teasingly as she patted her son's face. "I love you, Troy. She does too. She's just worried. Don't hold that against her."

"Yeah," Troy replied slowly. "I love you too, Mom and I'll miss you." Like a child, Troy tightly hugged his mother and softly kissed her cheek.

Cara smiled tenderly as she wiped away a stray tear. "We better go downstairs. People want to see their soldier before he goes off to battle."

Troy nodded and grabbed his large duffel bag. He headed down the stairs and saw most of his family and a few work friends waiting on him. One by one, each hugged and kissed Troy goodbye. After much chatter and mingling, many left. Soon, only Troy's parents, Maria, Liam, Gabriella, Connor, Ava, and Troy were left.

"Troy, I wish you had at least a week more with us," Maria remarked sadly.

Troy nodded. "I do too, but we all knew this would be coming. I'll miss you all."

Maria smiled as she walked towards her son-in-law and hugged him tenderly. "I will miss you, Troy. Be safe."

Liam nodded in Troy's direction as Maria slowly let go. Liam firmly shook Troy's hand. "Watch yourself, Troy. War's a hard thing. I should know," Liam said softly as he remembered his difficult service during the Vietnam War. Troy nodded and patted Liam's back in response.

Jack smiled as he walked towards his son. "I'm so proud of you, Son," he said as he shook Troy's hand. He then glanced at Gabriella and then reverted his eyes back to Troy coyly, "Behave yourself."

Troy grinned as he looked at Gabriella. "I will. I promise."

Jack stepped back as Cara gave Troy one last hug. "Remember what I said, Troy."

Troy nodded and turned his head towards his children. He looked towards Gabriella who was holding baby Ava. He motioned to Gabriella that he would like to hold her. Gabriella sadly complied and tenderly handed Ava over. He softly placed a kiss on top of her sweet smelling hair and smiled at the moment. He would really miss this child. He then turned towards Connor, who was standing to his right. Troy slowly knelt down to face his son. "Hey Connor, will you do a favor for me?"

Connor eagerly nodded his head in reply.

"Good. Will you promise to help Mommy with Ava and be a good boy for me?" Troy asked as he stroked Ava's cheek.

Connor nodded and smiled at his daddy. "I promise Daddy."

"Thank you, Connor," Troy said softly as he warily gave his son a one-armed hug, as baby Ava was sleeping in his arms. "I love you, Son. I'll miss you and Ava so much."

"I'll miss you too Daddy," Connor replied softly as he planted a kiss on Troy. Troy smiled at the smooch and kissed him and Ava one more time. He then glanced up at Gabriella, who was standing off to the side, crying softly.

Troy carefully handed Ava to Maria and rushed to Gabriella's side. "Shhh, Gabi. It's going to be okay. You'll do fine," Troy whispered to his wife softly.

Gabriella pushed him away. "Troy, everything will not be fine. Nothing will be fine without you," she said as she continued to cry.

Troy sighed and glanced at his mother. She gravely smiled at her son. Troy then turned his attention back to Gabriella. "Please, honey. I don't want to make this even more difficult."

Gabriella nodded as she glanced at their children. She wiped her tears. "You're right," Gabriella paused. "Troy, you should know something before you leave. I couldn't find the best time to tell you with all of this, but now that you're really leaving, I think it would be better to tell you face-to-face."

Troy nodded to urge her on.

Gabriella smiled as she wiped away a stray tear. "I-I'm pregnant, Troy."

Troy's eyes widened and purposely repeated her words, "You're pr-pregnant? Gabi, how long…?"

"Eight weeks," Gabriella replied through tears. "I'm so sorry, Troy…I should have told you sooner, but…I just didn't know when…"

"Gabi, you have nothing to be sorry for. This is wonderful news. We're going to have another baby! That's great!"

Gabriella shook her head. "Troy, you're leaving. I can't do this alone. I just…Troy…please!"

Troy embraced his wife tightly. "I love you. I wish I didn't have to go…but I made a commitment. It's too late to back down now."

Gabriella sighed softly. "I can't get you to stay, can I?"

Troy stared past Gabi's head. He slowly said, "I'm sorry, Gabi."

Gabriella began to cry again. Troy rubbed her back soothingly and glanced at his parents, Maria, and Liam who were all stunned by Gabriella's news.

Troy then glimpsed at his watch and reverted back to his parents, Maria, and Liam. "Please, make sure she's okay." He then turned back to Gabriella. "I've got to catch my plane. I'll call you the second I get to Fort Knox."

Troy hugged Gabriella again and grabbed his duffel bag. He kissed sleeping Ava, who was in Maria's arms and patted Connor's head. He smiled at his parents, Maria, and Liam and said quickly, "Dad, we better get going. I'll see you all at my graduation in nine weeks. I love you all!"

Everyone responded with their own goodbye. Jack pulled on his jacket and grabbed his keys and headed out the door. Troy waved as he was walking out the door, first glancing at Gabriella, who was still off to the side crying softly.

"Bye," he said softly as he closed the door behind him. He couldn't believe how selfish he was being. If only he realized before that Gabriella was pregnant…_No, _Troy thought to himself. _I made a commitment. I'm not backing down now. _Troy stood up straight and briskly walked to his father's pick-up truck. He quickly got in, buckled, and returned to his thoughts.

"So," His father started. "Where to? The airport or the recruitment office?" Troy bitterly smiled at his father's keen observation. He was having conflicting feelings about whether to go back to the recruitment office to try to get out of the army or to follow through his with his commitment.

He glanced at the picture window that revealed his family watching them in the driveway. "Airport," Troy replied sharply as his father nodded and pulled out of the driveway.


	6. Arrival

Chapter 6

As soon as Troy landed in Fort Knox, Kentucky, he knew that he was in for a tough nine weeks. He saw sergeants drilling a group of trainees in the open field off to his right and another group running an obstacle course to his left. He soon relaxed when he and many other trainees were gathered into a large hall and he met up with Zeke. Before either of them knew it, they were registered, given their uniforms, and shown their sleeping hall. Soon, they were also being drilled like the other trainees. They were then ordered to run the obstacle course and run a mile. After running the mile, the trainees were allowed to eat dinner and then retire to their sleeping halls.

The days in basic training seemed to blur into one big ritual; get up at 6 a.m., eat breakfast, raise the flag, drilled by the sergeants, run a mile, eat lunch, clean the sleeping halls and the mess hall, load and pull apart rifles, eat dinner, free time, go to sleep at 10 p.m.

Zeke and Troy were luckily able to spend time together during basic training. Since the sleeping hall assigned beds alphabetically, Troy and Zeke were even assigned neighboring beds. Both men were glad to have a friend to get through the rigors of basic training.

During Troy's free time, he would usually write long letters to Gabriella and his parents. He would describe the weather, what he was doing, and ask how the recipient of the letter was fairing. He would always record at the end how many more days he would be seeing everyone at his graduation.

Troy, although optimistic in his letters, received generally worried letters from Gabriella. She recorded her fears and pleads for Troy to return. She would describe how the kids were fairing which included the exciting appearance of Ava's first tooth and how Connor was forced to sit in the corner for five minutes during school because he was teasing a blonde girl who sat in front of him. Gabriella also wrote how she felt the baby move the other day and how she wished that Troy could have felt the fluttering sensation. Troy's parents on the other hand, would write to him about the weather in Albuquerque, what they were doing, and would mostly ask Troy questions about basic training. Troy's family's mail is what got him through the demands of the day. Every Wednesday was a highlight.

The days blurred into weeks and weeks soon blurred into months. Before he knew it, he was welcoming his family to his graduation. It was a Saturday morning. Troy first saw his parents get out of the plane.

"Mom! Dad!" Troy yelled at the two from the crowd of army trainees who were all yelling similar greetings. Luckily the pair spotted Troy and rushed to their son. Troy met the two half-way and embraced the two in a bear hug.

"Troy! You look great, son!" Jack exclaimed as he rubbed his son's now shaven head.

Cara smiled and remarked, "At last! Something got you to cut your hair."

Troy chuckled at his mom's remark while rubbing his head. "Yeah, I guess so."

Cara smiled and kissed her son's cheek. "We missed you Troy!"

"I missed you both too," Troy smiled. He then looked past his parents and saw Gabriella holding Ava climbing off the airplane. He then redirected his attention to his parents. "I'm going to go help Gabriella. I'll be right back," Troy said as he rushed off to meet Gabriella.

"Gabi!" Troy called as he rushed towards his wife.

Gabriella looked up and smiled at her husband as she climbed down the last step from the landing platform. "Troy! You look great, honey," Gabriella exclaimed as she gave Troy a tender hug with Ava sandwiched in the middle.

Troy broke apart and gasped at his eight-month old daughter. He swiftly took Ava from Gabriella's weary arms and embraced his daughter. "How's Daddy's girl? Have you been a good girl for Mommy? I bet you have!" Troy then continued to make baby noises at his young daughter as she giggled and patted her father's face. Gabriella looked on and giggled at the scene.

"Did Miss Ava miss her father that much?" Gabriella exclaimed at her daughter. Troy made a mocking face at Gabriella.

"Where's Connor?" Cara asked Gabriella as she and Jack neared the trio.

Gabriella chuckled. "Well, last I knew he was getting a tour of the airplane cockpit by Captain Langston. He's quite fascinated with the whole airplane. In fact, he wouldn't stop talking about it most of the flight here."

Troy laughed as he juggled Ava with his arm. "He's a pilot in the making."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and responded, "Let's hope not. Flying is dangerous as it is; I don't need him doing it for a living."

Troy grinned and looked over at his parents. "How was the flight?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Look at the plane—it's a puddle-jumper! Why can't the army send over a decent-sized plane these days? I mean, I could feel every bump and turn. I can't imagine how hard it was for Gabriella over here. With her getting up every ten minutes to throw-up, it must have been the flight from hell."

Troy turned to Gabriella. "Are you okay? Do you need to go lie down?" He asked concernly.

Gabriella shook her head. "I'm fine, Troy," she responded. Troy seemed unconvinced. Gabriella quickly changed the subject. "Let's take a tour. I want to see what you brag about in all those letters."

Troy nodded and pointed to Connor, who was already out of the airplane and talking to Captain Langston. Gabriella smirked. "Connor! Come see your father!" she called.

Connor looked over and smiled. He waved goodbye to his newest hero, Captain Langston and hurried over to the group, proudly wearing a new hat with the air force logo on it.

Troy smiled at his son as he handed Ava off to Jack. "Hey buddy! Whacha got there?" Troy pointed to the hat Connor was wearing as he kneeled down to Connor's height.

Connor eagerly took off his hat and stated, "I got it from Captain Langston. He said that real pilots wear this stuff."

Troy smiled and high-fived his son. "That's awesome Connor. I heard you got a tour of the cockpit too."

Connor nodded excitedly. "Yeah! He showed me the controls and the steering wheels and the earphones! It was so cool!"

"I bet," Troy responded as he stood up. "Connor, we're going to see where I get to do all of my army stuff now. You wanna come see it?"

Connor nodded. Troy smiled and motioned for Connor to climb on his back for a piggy-back ride. Connor eagerly complied and Troy began the tour.

**A/N: That's pretty much it for this chapter. DISCLAIMER: I have no idea what a person does in basic training. My grandfather, my father, and my cousin have told me some things about it, but most of the ideas came off of **_**Forrest Gump**_**. Ha ha!**


	7. Without You

Chapter 7

"Private Troy Jonathan Bolton," the announcer boomed over the microphone as Troy promenaded across the stage and accepted his certificate of training and his assignment, supporters clapping and cheering for him.

None were louder than Gabriella, who was crying and cheering at the same time. She couldn't believe how quickly her husband was slipping away from her. Soon, she decided, he would be off in some foreign country in peril.

Troy beamed at his family in the crowd as he militantly stood next to Zeke. Each glanced waywardly at each other, trying desperately to not grin at each other.

Soon, the ceremony was finished and the men met up with their families. Before Troy could reach his family, Zeke's mother, Diana Baylor, ambushed Troy by tightly embracing him.

"Troy! I can't believe you and my Zekey are going off to war!" Diana exclaimed as she broke away from the embrace and held Troy's face in her hands.

Troy nodded and smiled. "I know," he responded. "It's hard to believe."

Diana nodded sorrowfully. "Where are you stationed at, Troy?"

Zeke gasped and quickly interrupted, "I completely forgot to ask you. Where're you headed?"

Gabriella had overheard the conversation and quickly motioned Troy's and her parents over to where Troy was standing. "Where are stationed?" Gabriella asked eagerly, praying for a place in the United States.

Troy opened up his certificate and read, "Ramadi, Iraq."

Cara gasped at the place. "Troy, you can't possibly go to Iraq. I assumed you'd be stationed in Germany or somewhere in the United States. I didn't think you'd be sent to battle so quickly."

Zeke spoke up. "I'm going there too, Mrs. Bolton."

Diana darted her eyes back to her son. "What?"

"Yeah," Troy spoke up. "About half of our class is going to Iraq."

Gabriella put her shaking hand protectively over her bulging stomach. "Troy," she started. "May I speak to you?"

Troy nodded and followed her to a corner as the others stayed and talked amongst themselves.

"Troy," Gabriella started as she pulled him to a corner. "You can't go to Iraq."

Troy stared at his wife with confusion. "What are you taking about? I've been assigned there. I have to go."

"Get out of it!" Gabriella exclaimed loudly.

"Gabi, calm down. The baby—"

"Don't tell me to calm down! I can't just stand by and watch you go off to a war-torn country to prove something."

Troy reached for Gabriella's hand. "Gabi, I'm not trying to prove anything."

"Yes you are Troy! I know you. You wouldn't just leave me like this!" Gabriella responded hotly as she snatched her hand out of his grasp.

Troy looked down at his feet. "I have to," he whispered.

Gabriella sighed and tenderly reached for his face. "You don't have to, Troy. We can go home and be a family again."

Troy shook his head as he looked into his wife's eyes. "I can't get out of this even if I wanted to. The only way I could is if I hurt myself or I pretended to be crazy to get a Section 8."

Gabriella cried. "I can't do this without you, Troy."

Troy shook his head. "I know you can. You're stronger than you think. You got along without me for a few weeks before when I was in the coma, not to mention you got through Taylor's death. You can do this, Gabriella. You're a strong person."

Gabriella continued to cry. "I hope I can. I see that there's no changing your mind."

Troy shook his head slowly. He glanced towards his family and the Baylors. "We should get back."

Gabriella nodded as she accepted Troy's hand. Both walked back to their family and joined in the conversations.


	8. Footsteps in the Desert

Two Months Later:

Chapter 8

Three Months Later:

_Dear Troy,_

_I miss you everyday. I feel like I'm an empty void without you. Simple acts such as waking up for the day and seeing your side of the bed empty hurts my heart. I hate not seeing you; I hate that you can't see the kids; I hate that you can't listen to me complain about how hard the baby kicks me. _

_Yet, I've come to realize that you only want to help others. You've always wanted to help people. Even at the ski resort, you were concerned with my shyness. Do you remember that? I was thinking about how we first met the other day as Connor made a silly face at Ava. He looked so much like you at that moment. I almost cried, although I think my hormones had much to do with that._

_The baby is doing fine. I found out what sex the baby is at my appointment on Saturday. And I will keep my promise; I won't tell you what the baby's gender is until he/she is born. Will you be able to get back in time for my due date? I think that you should make sure that the army accepts the application for temporary leave. Write them more than once if you have to. I want you to be there, Troy. Your child wants to meet you!_

_I love you and miss you every day._

_Love,_

Gabriella

Troy slowly exhaled as he finished reading the letter. He whispered the second to last statement in her letter: _Your child wants to meet you!_ He smiled as he thought of his new child. He couldn't wait to become a father again. He remembered being completely scared of the prospect of becoming a father when Gabriella was pregnant with Connor. He was so young then, yet so sure of himself. Now, Troy was unsure of every step he took. Was he doing the right thing? Was he really helping everyone?

Troy drew a breath in as he glanced around his bunker. Most of the men were sleeping, or reading letters. He looked over at Zeke, who was smiling as he was reading a book of jokes Chad had sent him.

"Any good jokes?" Troy asked Zeke as he sat up in his bed, facing Zeke.

Zeke sat up also. "Yeah," he responded. "Chad sure knows how to pick 'em." Both men exchanged smiles. "How's Gabi?"

"She said she doing good. I guess the baby's going to be one hell of a soccer player; she says the baby's been kicking her hard."

Zeke smiled. "I guess that means he's healthy."

Troy looked up. "He? You think the baby's a boy?"

Zeke shrugged. "I don't know. It could happen. I just don't like calling the baby an 'it.'"

"Yeah," Troy responded thoughtfully. "I don't either. Maybe we should name the baby something…you know, for the time being."

"Okay," Zeke grinned. "What's a good name? Hey! I saw an episode like this on some show…I can't remember what's it's called, but I used to watch it all the time. They named the baby 'Big Bird.'"

"Big Bird?" Troy spit. "Do you want my child to be known as an oversized yellow bird?"

"No, it doesn't have to be that," Zeke responded. "It could be anything. For example, I named my dog Chew-Chew because I loved trains. Maybe you can name the baby after something you and Gabi both love."

Troy nodded and began to think. He went through a list of what he loved and whom he loved. He suddenly thought of something. "Let's name the baby Taylor."

"Taylor?" Zeke repeated questionably.

"Yeah," Troy responded as he stared back at Zeke. "After Taylor McKessie. Gabi and I owe a lot to her. Without her, we wouldn't be together."

Zeke nodded and flashed a slight smile. "I miss her a lot Troy. I can't even believe it's been over six years since she died."

Troy slowly nodded and looked down into his clasped hands. "I still feel guilty over it. I mean, if only I had not let Chad drive. I knew when he got angry he got careless. I should have known…I should have…"

"Troy," Zeke interrupted. "You can't put the blame on yourself. It was an accident, Troy. An _accident._"

"Still," Troy responded. "I could have done something. Even worse, I wasn't there after the accident to help everyone cope."

"You were in a coma; what do you expect?" Zeke answered as he rolled out of bed and stood up for roll call. Troy followed Zeke's lead as both men saluted the drill sergeant who was inspecting the bunks. When the sergeant was finished they continued their conversation.

"Well," Troy said. "I just wish I could have helped people out. I was sleeping on the job, I guess."

Zeke chuckled. Troy smiled and then quickly glanced at his watch. "Speaking of sleeping on the job, we need to get out of bed and start duty. The world's a waiting outside Zeke."

Zeke nodded and stood up. Both men headed towards the door to get ready for their station. They watched as several other men from their group did the same thing.

Troy turned towards Zeke as they walked towards the base gate. "You know, even though I love trying to help kids out, once I see their faces, I immediately think of my kids. I can't believe I've been away from them for almost three months."

Zeke nodded as they walked through the gate, making sure to load their riffles and put their gear on as they exited. "Yeah," he responded. "I sure miss my family too. I hope my mom's handling everything at the restaurant like I asked her to. I know she'll do a good job bossing everyone around."

Troy chuckled. "Yeah, she's the best I've ever seen." Troy turned his attention to the group leader as he spoke about their duties for today. When the leader was done, they all began to walk towards the city, where they were stationed to help organized a toy give-away for the local children.

As the men walked towards the Iraqi city, they passed several buildings that have grown familiar to them over the past few months. One of the buildings in particular stuck out to Troy. He stopped and looked at the building more closely. He watched as a child walked into the building.

"Hey guys," Troy called to his group, who was walking on without him. "Come here."

Zeke and the rest of the group turned around and Zeke asked him, "What is it Troy?"

"I don't know," Troy responded. "Something's up inside that building. I can see shadows of people in it. I also saw a kid go into it. It's unstable, you know. Maybe we should check it out."

The group leader, Pt. Mike Coleman, hesitated. "I don't know Bolton. It's probably just some locals trying to look through things. Let's not bother them."

"Guys," he started. "I don't like the idea of people being in an unstable building, especially a little kid. It's not safe."

Coleman nodded and turned to his platoon of fourteen. "Men, we're going to satisfy Bolton's fear of buildings and check it out. Make sure your guns are loaded."

Zeke rolled his eyes as he walked towards Troy. "Is this really necessary?"

Troy nodded assertively and started walking towards the door. Zeke followed behind as they entered the building. 

"Hello?" Troy called out as most of the group entered the building. Coleman and Zeke stood idly by as Troy checked around the place.

"I don't see anyone here, Troy," a group member, Kyle said.

Suddenly, several local-looking men jumped out from behind a door and began to attack the group. Troy attempted to defend himself, but the attacker knocked the gun out of Troy's hands.

"Retreat!" Coleman yelled as a few men, including Zeke, attempted to run out of the door. However, before the bunch could leave, one of the attackers slammed the door shut.

Inside the small-cramped building were Zeke, Troy, Coleman, and ten other American soldiers. A group of about five men ended up over-powering the Americans and taking their guns away, then leading them into an enclosed room in the building, and finally binding them with rope, gagging them, and blind-folding them.

Troy knew exactly who these men were: terrorists. He was sure that he would either be kidnapped or tortured and then most likely killed. That was one of the first things a soldier learns when he or she comes to the Middle East.

One of the terrorists began to yell at the Americans in a foreign language. It was confusing, to say the least. The terrorist, who was speaking, suddenly stopped, waited, and then yelled out something. Troy then heard some rustling and a muffled cry.

Troy cried out also. He couldn't see or speak. He then heard a round of gunshots and several screams. Troy again screamed as he heard footsteps coming closer and closer to him. Down the line, he heard gunshot, after gunshot, each one growing closer to where he was tied up. Suddenly, a pair of feet was stationed in front of Troy. He heard the riffle cock, and then he heard a fire.

A/N: Happy Memorial weekend everyone. I want everyone who reads this to stop on Memorial Day at three o'clock and remember in your hearts the soldiers that have died to protect our freedom. Thanks!


	9. The News

Chapter

Chapter 9

"Baby, you need to stop kicking me so hard," Gabriella said soothingly as she rubbed her growing abdomen. It was a sunny Friday morning in April and at the moment, she was attempting to look through Connor's book bag. He was often forgetful of showing his mother any important notes he had from school, so she made a routine check daily.

"Mommy!"

Gabriella turned herself in the armchair she was sitting in to face her son.

"What do you need, sweetheart?" Gabriella asked Connor.

"Ava's crying," Connor responded. "I think she needs a diaper change. She's stinky."

Gabriella smiled and pushed herself off the chair, a task that grew increasingly difficult every day. "I'll get her sweetie. I set your cereal out for you, eat it quickly so you can catch your bus."

Connor nodded and raced to the table to eat his breakfast. Gabriella chuckled as she passed her son and started up the stairs. From there, she could hear her daughter wailing.

"Miss Ava," Gabriella cooed as she entered Ava's room. "What's the matter?"

Gabriella picked her 13-month old daughter up, groaning as she felt the weight of Ava shift on her already aching back. She set her daughter down on the changing table and began to work on changing the diaper.

"Mom!" Connor again shouted from the bottom of the stairs. Gabriella groaned.

"Yes?"

"Someone's on the phone!"

"Who is it?" Gabriella shouted as she threw the dirty diaper away.

"Hold on. Let me ask," Connor responded. Gabriella swiftly wiped her daughter clean and put a fresh diaper on her.

"Mom," Connor yelled. "He said he's from the army. It's about Daddy." 

Gabriella felt her heart turned over. _Oh my God_, she thought. _It can't be_. Gabriella quickly pulled herself together and responded, "I'll be right there Connor."

Gabriella picked up Ava and rushed down the stairs, swiftly fastening Ava into her play swing and picking up the cordless phone.

"Hello?" Gabriella nervously answered.

"Hi," the voice on the other line stated. "My name is Lt. Covalt. Am I speaking to Mrs. Troy Bolton?"

Gabriella inhaled sharply as she rubbed her stomach. "Yes you are. Is something wrong with my husband?"

Lt. Covalt exhaled into the phone. "Yes," he replied. "Something did happen."

Gabriella nodded as tears welded up in her eyes. "Is he hurt?"

"Mrs. Bolton, there's no easy way to say this, but something happened about three weeks ago. A platoon near Ramadi, Iraq was taken hostage inside an abandoned building by a group of terrorists. The platoon consisted of about fourteen soldiers. Unfortunately, only two survived."

By now, tears were freely rushing down Gabriella's face. "Uh-huh. What does this have to do with my husband?" Gabriella asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Mrs. Bolton, I'm sorry to say that your husband was involved in that," Lt. Covalt said. Gabriella began to openly cry.

"Lieutenant," Gabriella said through tears. "Are you trying to tell me my husband is…" Gabriella looked towards Connor, who was staring at Gabriella.

There was a pause. Finally, Lt. Covalt responded. "Yes. We have not yet found his body, but his dog tags, some of his clothes, and a heavy amount of his blood were left at the scene." Gabriella cried out in horror as she looked over at her son, who was creeping towards her. Connor stood next to his mother and tried to ask questions.

"Not now Connor," Gabriella whispered. "Please, go play with Ava."

Connor hesitated, and then left his mother's side and slowly walked towards his sister in the other room.

"Mrs. Bolton?" Lt. Covalt asked.

Gabriella sniffled as she wiped her tears away. "I'm still here."

"Mrs. Bolton," Lt. Covalt started. "I'm terribly sorry for your loss. I just wanted you to know that the surviving two members of the group spoke very highly of your husband. He fought hard until the end."

Gabriella nodded. "When will you find his body?"

Lt. Covalt sighed. "I wish I could answer that, but I can't. To be honest with you, we might never find it. Again, I am so sorry."

"Thank you for telling me Lieutenant. Please, if you do find his body, contact me as soon as you can. I would appreciate giving him a proper burial," Gabriella stated as she hung up the phone.

Suddenly, Gabriella felt the floor crash from under her. She sunk to her knees and broke down. Loosing all control, she screamed and cried out in pain. 

"Why God?" Gabriella exclaimed as she rocked herself. She couldn't believe that this happened. He promised he would stay safe. He promised to come home. He'll never come home; she might not even have a body either. How could this happen to her again? She thought she paid her dues when Taylor died. Now, she's lost another person.

Mustering all her strength, Gabriella got up off the floor and reached for the phone. She then called the one person who would take the news even worse than she did.

"Hello?" Gabriella heard Troy's mother answer in a sing-songy voice.

"Cara?" Gabriella responded hoarsely.

Cara, alarmed by the tone of Gabriella's voice, responded worriedly, "What is it Gabriella? Is something wrong with the baby? Do you need an ambulance?"

Gabriella shook her head. "No."

"What's the matter," Cara exclaimed worriedly. She then called for her husband, Jack. "Do you want us to come over?"

Gabriella shook her head. "Yes…please. Come now."

"We're on our way, honey," Cara said before she hung up.

Gabriella shook as she hung up the phone. She then stood up, dried her tears, and walked into the living room, where the children were.

Gabriella looked towards Connor. "Honey?"

Connor, obviously worried, turned to his mother and answered meekly, "Yeah?"

"Connor, you aren't going to school today. Grandpa Jack and Grandma Cara are going to watch you and Ava today."

Connor nodded. "Okay Mommy."

Gabriella smiled and reached out to hug her son. "I love you baby."

"I love you too Mommy," Connor responded as she kissed his cheek.

Gabriella turned towards the kitchen and called Connor's school to tell them he couldn't make it to class.

"What's the excuse?" the secretary asked after Gabriella told her.

Gabriella exhaled. _How do I tell this woman what happened?_ She wondered. Gabriella then stated, "We have a family emergency."

The secretary accepted and hung up. Gabriella then heard the doorbell ring.

Connor had already gotten up to answer it. "Hey Grampa! Hey Grandma!"

"Hey Sport!" Jack exclaimed as he picked his grandson up and swung him about. Cara smiled at the display as she walked into the living room towards Gabriella.

"Gabriella? Have you been crying?" Cara asked worriedly as she motioned for her to sit down. "Jack?" Cara turned towards her husband who had put Connor down by now.

"Yeah?" Jack responded as he looked at his wife. He saw Gabriella's distress and turned to Connor. "Hey Connor? Will you go upstairs and pack your stuff to go to Grandma and my house? Then when we holler at you, you can come down."

Connor nodded and nervously looked over at the tense scene in front of him. He then rushed upstairs.

Jack then turned towards the women and sat down at the nearest armchair. "What's going on, Gabriella? Is something wrong with the baby?"

Gabriella shook her head. "No, nothing like that. I—I got a call today."

"A call?" Cara responded. "Was it about Troy? Did something happen?"

Gabriella nodded. "His group…a couple of weeks ago…ambushed."

"What?" Jack exclaimed. "Is he okay? Is he in the hospital? What happened?"

"He—he's…" Gabriella trailed off. She looked into her in-laws' anxious faces and then started. "They told me that they found his dog tags, his clothes, and his blood left behind. They said that he's dead."

Gabriella watched as the blood drained from Jack's face and Cara let out a gasp. "Gabriella," Cara started. "He…Troy can't be gone. He just can't be. There must be some mistake."

Gabriella shook her head. "They found his blood. It was him," she responded bitterly as she looked down at her open palms.

She heard Cara gasped and watched as Jack took his wife into his arms. "Jesus," Jack said under his breath. He then turned to Gabriella. "They didn't even find his body?"

Gabriella shook her head in response as she put her palm on her swollen stomach. "I'm so sorry. I wish I didn't have to tell you this."

Jack shook his head. "It was better coming from you than from a stranger. I—I just can't believe he's really gone."

Gabriella glanced up at her in-laws. "He can't be gone. They haven't found a body yet. He could still be out there."

Cara stared at her daughter-in-law. "Honey, I know you want to be optimistic, but don't get your hopes up. You will just end up disappointed."

"What?" Gabriella questioned. "He's your son, you should be optimistic too!"

Jack sat up. "Now Gabriella, you know we love him just as much as you do, but we're being realistic. We know what he got himself into and we know that there was a chance he wouldn't come home."

"Until there's a body," Gabriella responded. "I won't give up hope."

Cara and Jack silently accepted her terms and Cara responded, "I won't give up either, Jack."

Jack bitterly smiled and nodded as he stood up to embrace his daughter-in-law. "Stay strong, Gabi," he whispered. "I want you and my soon-to-be grandchild to be healthy."

Gabriella nodded as she broke away from Jack. "I will."

Cara also hugged Gabriella and placed a gentle hand on her stomach. "Your daddy loves you, honey. He'll come back to you soon."

Gabriella smiled as she walked to the stairs and called for Connor to come down. She then went to Ava, who was sleeping in her swing, and picked her up and handed her off to Cara. She then reached for the diaper bag and gave it to Jack. Connor came bounding down the stairs with his basketball in his arms and a sleep-away bag.

Gabriella turned towards Connor. "Honey, Mommy needs to get things done today, so Grandma and Grampa are going to take care of you. Be good for them and I'll pick you and Ava up tomorrow. I love you," Gabriella said as she kissed her son.

Connor grinned and responded, "I love you too Mommy."

Gabriella also smiled as she brushed his cheek and turned towards Ava to kiss her goodbye.

"Don't worry about picking them up tomorrow, we can drop them off," Jack stated.

Gabriella nodded. "Thank you for doing this. I just need to make a few calls about Troy and maybe contact the army."

Both Cara and Jack nodded as they led the children out the door. Gabriella waved as they drove away. She then turned to the phone and began to make a few calls.

Hours later, Gabriella sat on the couch clutching the phone. She had finally gotten through to the army and had just hung up with them.

She learned that Troy was kidnapped from the abandoned building and taken. The army would not give her much more information. She also learned that Zeke was one of the two soldiers who survived. She learned he was in a military hospital in Germany.

Mustering all of her strength, she used the information the army had given her to call the hospital.

"ICU, this is Kelly," a voice answered.

"Hi," Gabriella responded. "I was wondering if I could be connected to Zeke Baylor's room."

"I'm sorry, he's requested not to be bothered," Kelly answered.

"Please," Gabriella pleaded as she fell back into her chair. "Could you tell him to call Gabriella Bolton. He knows my number."

"I will tell him," Kelly responded as she hung up.

Gabriella sighed as she also hung up. Moments later, the phone rang.

"Hello?" Gabriella answered the phone warily.

"Gabi?" a voice croaked on the other line. Gabriella immediately recognized the voice.

"Zeke," Gabriella whispered. "How are you? The army wouldn't tell me your injuries."

"Gabi," Zeke said with a broken voice. "I—I'm so sorry."

Gabriella shook her head. "Zeke, what happened? Tell me exactly what happened to Troy."

Zeke paused and then cried. "They killed him."


	10. Only Hope

Chapter 10

Last time on "Where the Brave Go":

"_Gabi," Zeke said with a broken voice. "I—I'm so sorry."_

_Gabriella shook her head. "Zeke, what happened? Tell me exactly what happened to Troy."_

_Zeke paused and then cried. "They killed him."_

Chapter 10

Almost a month passed after the call from Zeke. His nurse came back in after Zeke told Gabriella that terrorists had killed her husband. The nurse refused Zeke permission to continue with the conversation, stating that it was too traumatic for him to divulge the information.

Gabriella tried to call back, but when she finally got through about a week and a half later, she learned that he had been flown back to the states. The army refused to tell her where they had taken him, so she called Zeke's mother, Diane. Finally, after much persuasion, Diane told her that he was at a hospital in Atlanta, but he was to be transferred to Phoenix, Arizona the following week. Gabriella then decided to plan her trip to the city. She wanted to speak with Zeke in person.

It was a Friday in early May. Gabriella, along with Jack and Cara, were up early that morning in order to start their long car ride to Phoenix. She had enlisted her mother to baby sit Ava and Connor, so her mother and her parents-in-law were over to help pack their suitcases.

"I really don't like the idea of you going to Phoenix, Gabriella," Maria sternly told her daughter as she folded a pair of Connor's jeans. The children were to stay at Maria and Liam's house for the long weekend that Gabriella was to be away.

"I'll be fine, Mom," Gabriella responded tiredly. "Cara and Jack are going to be with me."

Maria shook her head as she glared at her daughter. "You are eight months pregnant, Gabriella. You have no business driving all that way! It's over six hours of driving."

"I won't be driving the entire time, Mom," Gabriella reasoned. "If Jack had his way, I wouldn't be driving at all."

At that statement, Jack popped his head into Connor's bedroom and glanced at his daughter-in-law and her mother. "Did I hear my name?"

Gabriella nodded and turned to Jack. "My mother thinks that this trip is a bad idea."

Jack walked into the bedroom and leaned on Connor's small dresser. "I won't lie to you, Gabriella. I don't think it's the brightest idea either, but you're determined to go. I won't let you go alone."

Gabriella sighed as she turned back to folding Connor's clothes.

"Besides," Jack continued. "I want to know exactly what happened to Troy, also. I think it might be easier for Zeke to open up to us in person, rather than over the phone."

Gabriella nodded as she folded the last of Connor's clothes. "Thank you for understanding."

Jack smiled half-heartedly as he turned to walk out the door, bumping into Cara in the process. Cara apologized quickly and turned to Gabriella. "We should get going. Are you almost finished?"

Gabriella nodded as she started to lift the heavy suitcase.

"Don't you dare lift that, young lady!" Maria exclaimed as she grabbed the suitcase away from her daughter. "It's bad enough that you are under so much stress. You don't need to further wear your body down by doing heavy lifting."

Gabriella nodded tiredly as she headed towards the hallway. She stopped in the living room and looked on at her children. She watched as Ava stood up beside the couch, grasping the end table to balance herself. She also saw Connor lying on his stomach watching cartoons in his PJ's.

"Connor, why aren't you dressed for school?" Gabriella sighed as Connor turned onto his side to look at his mother.

"Grammy said I didn't have to go to school today," Connor replied slyly.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Connor Jonathan Bolton, you know that is a lie. I told Grammy that you were to go to school today and Monday."

"But I thought that Grammy and Lee Lee were going to let us say bye to you, Grandma, and Grampa!" Connor explained pleadingly as he described the supposed intentions of Maria (Grammy) and Liam (Lee Lee).

"No, Connor," Gabriella replied as she knelt to the carpet floor to help Connor out of his PJ's. "On the way back to Grammy and Lee Lee's house, Grammy is going to drop you off at school."

"Okay," Connor sighed as he stood up to pull his PJ bottoms down and put on his jeans that were laid out on the couch.

Soon, Connor and Ava were dressed and ready to leave. Gabriella kissed both of her children goodbye and watched the children leave. She then gathered her purse and rollaway suitcase and walked out to her small SUV as Cara and Jack followed.

After a fight over the car keys occurred (Gabriella won) and a fight over the radio station (Cara won), the trio hit the road for the long trip to Phoenix.

Every two hours, the three stopped for a bathroom and snack break, and also to switch drivers. The trip was fairly uneventful, so when they finally arrived in Phoenix, all were relieved.

Finding the hospital proved to be a harder task than the trip itself. Jack, who was driving at the time, refused to stop for directions, so the three were completely lost. Finally, Gabriella called the hospital for directions and they were able to navigate their way there.

As they stepped into the hospital, Gabriella felt a rush of hope. Although she knew that Zeke believed Troy was dead, she was hoping that he might have a clue that may lead to finding Troy. She refused to believe that her husband was gone.

Soon, they were at the nurse's station inquiring information on Zeke. They learned that he was in a regular room on the second floor. They successfully found the second floor, and then went searching for his room.

They found it. Gabriella hesitated to open it, trying to build up the nerve to walk inside. Jack, who was impatient, decided to open the door for her and walked in with Cara following. Gabriella paused and then slowly walked into the room.

The room had two beds. The one nearest to the door was empty, but the farther one was occupied. As she neared the second bed she saw Zeke.

At first she hardly recognized him. She knew nothing of his injuries, other than that he was in a critical condition when the army had found him and several other soldiers lying in a ditch near their base. Unfortunately, only Zeke and another soldier had survived and were left for dead.

From experience as a nurse, Gabriella could tell that the right side of Zeke's face had new skin grafted to his old skin. That told her right away that he had a bad burn or cut on his face. The left side had one line of stitches above his eye and another along his chin. She saw that his left arm was in a cast, as was his left leg, which was also propped up off the bed in a sling.

After looking him over, she decided to check his cognitive skills by asking him questions. "How are you feeling, Zeke?" she asked softly as she sat in a chair next to his bed.

Zeke smiled and hoarsely responded. "I was just given pain meds, so I feel pretty good. How are you and the baby doing?"

Gabriella smiled softly. He remembered the baby. That was a good sign that he had little head trauma. "The baby is doing fine. The baby's due in about four weeks."

Zeke nodded. "Taylor," he responded.

Gabriella stared at Zeke, puzzled. "What did you say?"

"Taylor," he said hoarsely. "The baby."

Gabriella was still confused. "Why are you calling the baby Taylor?"

"That's what Troy named it. After Taylor McKessie," he responded.

"What?" She wiped a stray tear that ran freely down her face and attempted to calm her voice. Her husband had named their baby after her best friend.

Zeke cleared his throat when he saw how upset Gabriella was. "I'm sorry Gabi. I shouldn't have upset you like this. You're pregnant. You don't need me adding stress."

Gabriella shook her head. "It's okay, Zeke. I'm already stressed. Can you do me a favor though? Can you tell us what happened to Troy?"

"Yes," Zeke whispered as he shifted his free arm a bit. He paused for a bit and then finally said, "Gabi…I…I didn't mean for him to die. I tried to save him, but…I couldn't."

His statement took Gabriella aback. She then heard Jack speak up. "Zeke, will you tell us how he died?"

"Yeah," Zeke nervously responded. He shifted in his bed again and then cleared his throat before he began.

"It was a normal weekday for us. We woke up, ate breakfast, and then we had some free time. Troy was reading a letter from Gabriella; I was reading a book. I remember talking with him about the baby. I came up with the idea to name the baby something instead of calling it "it." He liked the idea and came up with a name for it: Taylor. He wanted to call the baby something memorable, and he decided to call him or her after a person both Gabriella and he loved: Taylor McKessie," Zeke said.

Gabriella felt her heart swell with love for her husband. He was so mindful of her feelings.

Zeke continued. "After a while, we went to meet our platoon for a toy give-away in town. Our group was sponsoring it. I remember him talking about how every time he looked at a local child's face, he thought of his own children.

"On the way, Troy stopped the group because he saw a child run into an unstable building. He refused to continue without making sure that the child was safe. I remember him saying that he saw shadows inside the building, but I didn't think much of it. I should have thought about it more though. We later found out that the shadows were terrorists. They ambushed us when we got inside the building. They blindfolded and gagged us and pushed us into a corner. It was so hot and cramped that it was almost unbearable.

"After they yelled at us for what seemed like forever, I started hearing gunshots. I hear screaming. I couldn't see through the blindfold, so I was so scared. I was next to Troy and I hear footsteps stop right in front of him. I heard another gunshot. I then heard laughing in the background and I felt a thud next to me.

Cara gasped and clutched onto Jack's shoulder in horror. Gabriella cried out in anguish as she listened. Her husband was shot in cold blood, and these men laughed about it!

Zeke continued. "For some reason, they stopped at me. I have no idea why to this day. The last thing I remember was someone yelling at me, and then I heard a loud bang go off. Everything then went black.

"When I woke up, I was outside. It was nighttime. I remember trying to get up, but it hurt to even blink my eyes. I looked around and saw men from my platoon lying on the ground next to me. I tried to yell to get their attention, but they didn't say anything. I knew then that…that they were…" Zeke trailed off as he sobbed. Gabriella stroked his hand to comfort him.

Cara spoke as she drew near to Zeke's side. "I'm so sorry this happened to you Zeke."

Zeke nodded. "Thanks, but it wasn't your fault. It was my own."

Cara shook her head. "Zeke, you couldn't have known."

"No," Zeke responded. "But it went against my better judgment."

After a pause, Jack spoke up. "How long were you in the ditch before you were found?"

Zeke sighed and started. "I remember watching the sun set and waking up to the sunrise before I heard people calling. I guess it was about a day and a half before they found us."

Jack nodded in response. "Was the loud bang you talked about an explosion?"

Zeke exhaled tiredly and responded, "Yeah. I think it was. The army said that a bomb went off inside the building."

"Why were you moved to the ditch after the explosion?" Gabriella asked.

"I have no idea," Zeke responded. "If I had to guess, I think that they wanted to throw the army off. They didn't want them to know where we were."

Gabriella nodded. "What do you think happened to Troy, Zeke?"

Zeke shook his head. "I think he was killed before the explosion, Gabriella."

"By the gun?" Gabriella asked as tears began to fall down her face.

Zeke nodded painfully. "I'm so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Bolton…Gabi."

Gabriella began to cry in misery. She glanced over at her in-laws and watched Jack cry softly as he tried to console his sorrowful wife. _This can't be happening_, Gabriella thought miserably. _Troy can't be gone; he just can't._

The ride back to Albuquerque was a silent and mournful one. Although Gabriella refused to believe Troy was really gone, the amount of hope she had when she arrived in Phoenix was greatly diminished as she left the city. Cara and Jack seemed weighted by the tragic news of their only son. Both were in a silent daze until their arrival in Albuquerque.

"We're home," Gabriella called joylessly as she willed herself to walk through her front door. Her step-father appeared at the doorway holding Ava. Right way he understood by Gabriella's body language that the news about Troy was not good.

"Maria!" Liam called for his wife as he handed Ava to Gabriella's weary arms. He then turned to her. "Will you be alright, Gabriella?"

Gabriella sighed as she tried to balance Ava and her suitcase so that she could close the front door. "I don't know," she responded bitterly.

Liam nodded as he reached for the suitcase to assist her. Gabriella smiled as she walked towards the living room couch and sunk into the soft leather. She carefully rocked her daughter on her knees. Ava sunk onto Gabriella's swelled stomach and put her mouth to it. Gabriella watched as Ava kissed her stomach and softly cooed, "Baby."

Gabriella smiled and kissed the top of her daughter's head. Maria then appeared with Connor and Liam following. Gabriella motioned for Connor to sit next to her on the couch. Liam and Maria sank into the nearby love seat.

Gabriella turned to her children. "Connor, Ava, I have something to talk to you about."

Connor nodded his head in response. He seemed to know that the news wouldn't be good news.

"I spoke with Daddy's friend Zeke, Connor," Gabriella started slowly. "He told me that…that we may not see Daddy for a long, long time."

Connor's eyes grew huge. "Why?"

"Well…" Gabriella started trying to choose her words carefully. "Unfortunately, Daddy got separated from Zeke, and the army doesn't know where he's at."

"Why don't they know?" Connor questioned.

Gabriella looked away from her son and looked at Ava, who was happily sucking half of her tiny hand, oblivious to the situation. "I don't know why, Connor. It's hard to explain."

"When will they find him? When will Daddy come home?"

Gabriella felt tears well up in her eyes. "I don't know that either, sweetie."

Connor began to cry. "But…you said that Daddy would come home to meet the new baby!" Connor pleaded.

Gabriella reached to embrace Connor. "I know. I thought he would be home, but he can't right now."

Connor pulled away from Gabriella. "I want him home now!"

Gabriella felt tears fall down her face. "I'm sorry, honey. He can't come home right now."

"But he promised he would come home!" Connor cried.

Gabriella looked into Connor's eyes and said. "Connor, don't give up on your father. I promise I'll do the same. We just need to have hope that he will come home."

Connor nodded as he wiped his tears from his face. "I promise Mommy."

"Good," Gabriella responded as she lifted Ava from her lap. She then turned to her son. "Connor, please take Ava to your room to play while I talk to Grammy and Lee Lee."

Connor obediently nodded and took his sister to his room. Gabriella then turned to her mother and step-father.

"I know what you're thinking," she said before Maria could get a word in.

"Well then you know how I feel," Maria stated firmly.

She nodded in response. "I won't give up on him Mami. No matter what."


	11. Move Along

A/N: I realize that this story is going very, very slow but I am starting to pick up speed

Chapter 11

"Mom!" Gabriella exclaimed into the phone. "My water just broke. I need you and Liam to come over—now!"

Maria quickly agreed, offering advice to her daughter to breath and to stay calm. Gabriella hung up and began to take her mother's advice. It was nearly four weeks after her trip to Phoenix. She had heard no news on Troy during that time, which only furthered her stress level. She was greatly surprised that she didn't go into labor sooner than now due to her high anxiety.

"Mommy?" Connor questioned as he neared his mother who was slumped onto the living room couch.

"Yes, Sweetie?" Gabriella questioned as she tried to breathe deeply.

"Are you having the baby now?"

Attempting to seem calm, Gabriella smiled at her son. "Yes, Connor. Grammy is coming to take me to the hospital. Lee Lee is going to watch you and Ava until the baby is ready to come."

Connor smiled at the thought of Lee Lee (a.k.a Liam) coming over. He then sat down at the end of the couch that Gabriella was sprawled out on.

After about ten minutes, and a painful contraction, Maria rushed through the door with Liam following her. Before she knew it, her mother had whisked her away from her home and had her at the hospital. She was quickly admitted to the hospital and spent the next several hours waiting to full dilation.

When her OBGYN finally gave the go ahead to start delivery, a nurse who was transferring her to the delivery room turned to her. "Is the father wanting to be in the delivery room?"

Gabriella blankly stared at the nurse, blinking back the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She then mustered up the strength to respond with a simple "no" answer. Her mother instead went into the delivery room with her.

The labor was long and hard. At 10:34 p.m., however, the baby was finally born. He was a healthy baby boy, and he was beautiful. She had known the sex of the baby during her pregnancy, so she wasn't surprised. Several months ago she had chosen to name her son Caleb Patrick Bolton, but the name had little meaning to her now. Instead she decided to pick the first name that came to her mind.

"Taylor," Gabriella told the nurse firmly after being asked a name for the birth certificate. "Taylor Isaac Bolton."

"What?" Maria questioned her daughter after the nurse left. "What happened to the name Caleb?"

Gabriella shook her head firmly. "Zeke told me that Troy named the baby Taylor, so his name is Taylor."

Maria didn't respond.

Later, a nurse came into the small hospital room carrying baby Taylor. She handed the small child to Gabriella and quickly left the room.

Gabriella smiled as she stared down at her newest child. "Isn't he beautiful, Mom?"

Maria nodded as she stood up from her chair to meet her grandchild. "He looks like Connor did when he was born." 

Gabriella weakly smiled at her mother. "I was just going to say that he looks like Troy."

Again, Maria didn't respond. Gabriella noticed that whenever she even spoke Troy's name, Maria clammed up. She didn't blame her for that though. It was hard to talk about someone who was assumed dead.

The next morning, Liam brought the kids to see Gabriella and Taylor. Cara and Jack were there that morning also, but she knew that it took willed effort to attempt to seem upbeat at the birth of their newest grandchild. Although Gabriella knew they were excited about the birth, she knew it was clouded by Troy's absence. She felt the same way.

"Taylor?" Connor exclaimed after Gabriella repeated the name to her oldest son. "Why Taylor? That's a girly name."

Gabriella chuckled as she held Taylor in her arms and balanced Connor and Ava at her knees. "Your father picked the name. Blame him."

Connor balked at the mention of his father, knowing it was a touchy subject. He let it roll off of him, however and seemed fascinated by Ava daring to touch the baby. She finally succeeded in touching Taylor's face. She giggled as he stirred.

"I like the name," Cara said quietly as she stared at the child. Gabriella weakly smiled at Cara, who looked extremely frail and anxious. It hurt to see her mother-in-law in this state. Jack hugged his wife and kissed the temple of her forehead tenderly. He then reached to hold his new grandchild.

Both Jack and Cara stared him over. Cara then turned to Jack and whispered, "He looks so much like Troy."

Jack nodded bitterly in agreement. A comforting thought came over him and whispered the thought to Cara. "Troy must have sent him to us."

The months passed by slowly. Taylor was thriving despite the attempts of sabotage by Ava, who was extremely jealous of the attention Taylor had taken from her. Zeke was finally out of the hospital, rehabilitating slowly every day. Connor was slowly getting used to the idea that his father was not coming home.

However, the absence of Troy did not sooth Gabriella's heart. She felt a hole grow inside her heart every day that Troy was gone. The days had stretched into months, and soon, the family was marking the anniversary of the fateful call from the army. Although Gabriella was still hoping that Troy was alive, the possibility that he was diminished daily.

Despite this, Gabriella tried to move forward with her life. She took more shifts at the hospital to earn more money. Since Troy's body was never found, her insurance company refused to send her any of Troy's life insurance money. She felt the financial crunch of the lack of a secondary income. She struggled each month to pay the mortgage of their family's home. Finally, after months of trying to keep paying the home mortgage, it proved too much of a financial strain to keep it. She put the house on sale, despite Cara, Jack, Liam, and Maria's protests. She found a smaller home about a mile away from their old home, so Connor was able to stay at his elementary school.

Time seemed to slip away. She soon found herself the mother of a 7 1/2 year old, a toddler, and a 16-month-old son.

That day she was walking the three blocks to pick Connor up from school. She impatiently waited on Ava, who was stopping every few steps to pick up random items she found, to hurry along as she pushed Taylor's stroller.

"Ava Caroline, if you do not stop picking up those slugs, you will be in big trouble!" Gabriella exclaimed as she glanced at her daughter. She watched Ava give her a wide-eye look and then carefully place the bug back on the sidewalk. Gabriella rolled her eyes at her daughter and turned her head as she arrived in front of the elementary school. Unfortunately, she didn't turn sooner, because she ended up in a head-on collision with someone.

Gabriella gasped as she hit the stranger's leg with the stroller and quickly ran to the front of the stroller to survey the damage. Taylor was stirred and began to cry. "I am so sorry," Gabriella exclaimed loudly to be heard over her son's wailing as she looked up at the tall man.

The man was apologetic also. "I'm sorry too. I wasn't paying attention. Is your son okay?"

Gabriella smiled as she patted her son's stomach and gave him his toy car, which calmed him down. "He'll be okay," Gabriella said after Taylor stopped crying. Ava, who had marched over to the scene after the collision, eyed the tall man, who dwarfed the small toddler in comparison.

"I'm Jeremy Wilkes, by the way," the man said as he held his hand out to Gabriella.

Gabriella smiled shyly and took the smiling man's hand. "Hi, I'm Gabriella Bolton," she responded softly. Realization poured over her quickly as she mused over the man's name. "Mr. Wilkes, right? My son Connor is in your class."

He smiled in response. "Yes, Connor. He's very quiet and well behaved. You're raising a great kid, Mrs. Bolton."

"Gabriella," she corrected automatically, pained at the thought of continuing to be Mrs. Troy Bolton when he wasn't around.

As the two were speaking, Connor began to walk towards his teacher and his mother.

Well…Gabriella…You can call me Jeremy," he responded slowly with a smile. He caught Connor in the corner of his eye, and turned towards the boy.

"_You_, however,will be calling me Mr. Wilkes, Connor," he said with a grin.

Connor sheepishly nodded. "Okay, Mr. Wilkes."

Gabriella and Jeremy chuckled at Connor's timid response. Out of the corner of her eye, Gabriella saw Ava, who was quickly bored with Jeremy, collecting a pile of dirt and scooping it onto Jeremy's shiny black dress shoes.

"Ava!" Gabriella exclaimed as she quickly bent down to catch her daughter's hand. She glanced up at Jeremy. "I'm so sorry."

Jeremy, who was a bit startled after being oblivious to Ava's actions, tenderly smiled down at the girl and started, "It's fine. My shoes have been through worse." 

Gabriella smiled and then sternly turned to Ava. "I want you to apologize to Mr. Wilkes. You don't dump dirt on anyone, Missie!"

Ava pouted and shyly started, "Sorry, Mister."

Gabriella rolled her eyes, and turned back to Jeremy. "She's always into something! I can't turn my back on her for two seconds!"

Jeremy smiled. "I'm sure you could. A person can't do much except for blink in two seconds."

Gabriella raised her eyebrows and softly chuckled.

Jeremy grinned and then started. "I've seen you around before, but I just haven't really gotten the chance to introduce myself. I'm sure it's a similar situation for you. The school really must schedule more parent-teacher conferences."

Gabriella half-smiled. "How long have you been teaching? You look so young."

"If I'm not being too forward, you also look very young yourself," Jeremy responded, ignoring the first question.

"Oh really?" Gabriella responded as she glanced over at Connor, who was trying to chase down Ava.

"I'm not attempting to insult you," he responded slowly, realizing his comment was too brass.

Gabriella nodded. "You're right. I am young. I'm twenty-five."

Jeremy, embarrassed, looked away. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude. My mouth and my brain share little connections."

Gabriella raised her eyebrows as she dismissed the rudeness. "You're fine. It's no secret that I had my children at a young age."

Jeremy nodded timidly. "You seem to handle everything with poise."

Gabriella chuckled. "Uh-huh! Right. You did see your shoes? I think you give me too much credit."

Jeremy agreed. Both continued their small talk in the middle of the school side-walk.

"So are these all your children?" Jeremy questioned, apprehensively, afraid to offend her.

"Yep. Just these three," Gabriella responded with a light giggle. "Connor, Ava, and Taylor."

"I can't say that I blame your husband for getting you pregnant," Jeremy said bluntly.

Gabriella felt the color drain from her face. Jeremy must have noticed also because he quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, that was very forward of me. I'm sure that your husband wouldn't like that either."

"I'm sure he wouldn't, but he's not around to hear it," Gabriella responded painfully. "He's been missing for close to two years."

"I am so sorry," Jeremy apologized. "I had no idea."

Gabriella weakly smiled. "You don't need to apologize."

"No," Jeremy responded. "I should just insert my foot into my mouth instead."

Gabriella smiled and shook her head. "There's no need for that."

"Whew!" Jeremy responded as he pretended to wipe sweat from his brow. Both Gabriella and Jeremy laughed.

"Mommy?" Ava asked as she appeared at Gabriella's side.

"Yes, Baby?"

Ava pointed to her stomach. "I'm hungry."

Gabriella sighed as she glanced at Jeremy. "Alright, Sweetie."

Jeremy glanced at his watch. "You know, I should really get going, too. It's almost four, and I still need to get home." 

Gabriella glanced at Jeremy. "Alright," Gabriella responded quickly. "Thank you for being so calm about your shoes and dealing with my wild toddler."

Jeremy chuckled. "Anytime."

Gabriella then turned towards her children and said, "Connor, will you please pick up your bookbag. We're going home, now."

Connor nodded as he picked his abandoned bookbag up from the grass as he headed towards the crosswalk.

Gabriella then turned her head towards Jeremy as she kicked the brake up from the stroller. "It was nice to meet you, Jeremy."

"You, too, Gabriella," he responded with a smile. "I hope to see you soon."

Gabriella nodded as she pushed Taylor's stroller along towards the sidewalk, where Ava and Connor were waiting for the crosswalk light to change.

A/N: I realize that this story is going very, very slow but I am starting to pick up speed. I hope all you readers will continue to be patient with me. I know I've lost many readers already, but if some of you will stick with it, it would mean so much to me! Thanks!

MissLovelyEagle9


	12. No Happy Ending

wtbgch12

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of High School Musical, as Disney owns them. I only own the ideas of the characters of Connor, Ava, Taylor, Jeremy, Liam and most of the minor characters. I also own the name ideas of Mrs. Bolton, Mrs. Montez, Mrs. Baylor, and Mr. and Mrs. McKessie.

Chapter 12: No Happy Ending

Several weeks went by after Gabriella met Jeremy. She soon found herself talking with him nearly every day after picking Connor up from school. She learned several things about him. For one, he was a native of Pueblo, Colorado, and had only moved to Albuquerque this year after being offered a great deal by the school district in town. He was one of the only male elementary school teachers in the area, which was very much desired. He had two older brothers and a younger sister, who was a year younger than Gabriella. His father had died when he was 17 years old of cancer, and his mother had remarried recently. He was very open with his emotions, which was a quality that interested Gabriella. Most men she knew tried to keep their emotions hidden, unlike Jeremy. He claimed that a second grade teacher had to be emotional, which made Gabriella laugh at his attempt at covering up his sensitivity.

At first, Gabriella felt awkward and unsure of her budding friendship with this man. For one thing, he was her son's teacher. That in itself reeked "off-limits." Also, she felt attraction to Jeremy. She knew that every mother—married or single—ogled the 27-year-old 2nd grade teacher. He was the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. He had naturally wavy, chestnut-colored hair that seemed to shine in the dimming sun. His tender eyes were pools of green that glistened whenever he laughed heartedly. His six foot two frame was lean, yet Gabriella could see that he was a muscular man. His attractive physique only added to the mounting reasons why she could not become interested in Jeremy. Yet, that was not the main reason; Troy was.

It was approaching the two-year mark since Gabriella had last seen Troy. The image of him graduating from basic training and smiling his broad, confident grin sent shivers down Gabriella's spine. His presence around her was so real, yet so distant. He wasn't there every night to sing her to sleep, but she could see him in her children. The way Connor tried to calm down his younger siblings, or the way Ava confidently took charge of a situation, or even the way Taylor smiled his toothy smile proved to Gabriella that Troy was still with her, even if it had to only be through her children.

Troy's parents were always present also. Gradually, they had begun to move on with their lives. Although they both still hoped, they were also realistic. They knew that the possibility of Troy returning home, after being basically declared everything but legally dead, was a long shot. Gabriella was struggling to adopt their practical logic, but she still hoped…

"You know that new museum that's opening next Friday?" Jeremy questioned Gabriella one day in mid-December during their usual after-school chat.

Gabriella nodded thoughtfully as she remembered back to an article in the paper about the new American history museum that was opening up. She was planning on taking her children to the museum in the near future, as time and finances would allow.

"What about it?" Gabriella questioned as she glanced over at the school playground, where Connor and Ava were playing at to make sure they were all right.

"Well…" he started as he looked at his feet mustering up courage to continue. He glanced up at Gabriella's waiting face. He sighed and continued. "The school had a raffle drawing for tickets to the opening—and I won two tickets to it. It's kind of a big deal—the opening. It's semi-formal with a dinner and a private showing. The whole dressing up and smoosing doesn't really appeal to me, but I'd love to just go through the museum with a private tour…" Jeremy glanced up at Gabriella's curious face. After seeing that she wasn't frightened away by the dressy occasion, he quickly continued. "The thing is…I don't have anyone to go with. I'd ask one of my coworkers, but most of the teachers are married women, and I'd hate to stir up any controversy," Jeremy joked as he pleadingly looked at Gabriella's face.

Gabriella could see that he was mustering up the strength to ask her to the opening. He was as nervous a teenage boy who was asking out his first date. She spoke up. "So…you're wondering if I'd be your date?"

Jeremy nervously nodded as he searched Gabriella's blank expression. He tensed up and began to backtrack. "It's not like it has to be a date. It can be more of a 'just as friends' deal."

Gabriella paused as she thought over the situation. They were friends, something that she didn't have a lot of these days. Complicating their friendship with any sort of relationship would be disastrous. She didn't want to hurt Jeremy's feelings—or her own. _Let him down easy_, Gabriella mentally decided. "Jeremy, I was thinking about taking my kids to this museum…"

"But, you still could!" Jeremy interjected loudly, causing some other parents to glance over at the duo. Gabriella blushed embarrassedly at the attention. Jeremy also seemed flustered with the situation.

"I'm sorry," Jeremy said after a long pause. "I shouldn't have even asked. It's just that…we've gotten close over these past few months. I don't have a lot of friends in Albuquerque yet, and I really haven't had time to date around."

Mentally, Gabriella was dissecting the circumstances. _What if he expects something more? Am I ready for a relationship? _She thought cautiously_. _Gabriella felt her mind do a one-eighty and shunned her cynical thoughts. _It's just one date, it's not like I'm getting a big commitment out of him, _she argued. Before she could think, she quickly responded to his last statement. "Jeremy, don't panic! I'll go with you…just as friends?" The last statement was really more of a wary question in order to clarify her intentions.

Jeremy exhaled in relief. "Thanks. I felt like I was about to have a heart attack."

"Why would you do that?" Gabriella shook her head in fake-disapproval as she halfway turned to Ava, who was tugging at her shirt. Gabriella quickly settled an argument on who can get to use the big slide. Ava went away happy that she got to use the slide her brother had claimed. Gabriella glanced up at Jeremy warily. He seemed impressed, yet tense as he watched little Ava run with all her might back to the playground.

"You make me nervous, Gabriella," he said bluntly as glanced back up to her chocolate eyes. The gaze was warm, but intense.

"Me?" Gabriella responded in a surprised, high-pitched voice. "I didn't know I could have that kind of effect over someone."

Jeremy chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "You have no idea."

Silence swept over the pair, both entranced in their own separate thoughts. The tension was very thick, something that both confused and stirred up emotions in Gabriella that she could barely recognize.

Gabriella finally broke the silence. "So…are you renting or buying your tux?"

Jeremy half-smiled as he kicked the dirt near his feet. "Neither. Believe it or not, I actually already own one."

Gabriella raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Did one of your major teachers' conferences require such formal attire?"

Jeremy laughed heartedly, his eyes glistening with amusement. "No, nothing like that. I actually bought one for my brother Brandon's wedding. I was the best man, so I had to dress the part, I guess."

"Oh," Gabriella nodded with a slight smile. Mentally amused with his obvious distaste for tuxedos.

Jeremy gave her a furor look. "Like you'd like to wear one of those penguin suits!"

Gabriella shook her head in disagreement and gently pseudo-sympathized. "I'm sure it's just as tortuous as a corset, panty hose, high heals, and a lace up dress. Not to mention the hair-do and nails…Oh! And the bra…"

"Okay, I get the picture!" Jeremy exclaimed as he held his hands up in surrender.

"I thought you'd see it my way," Gabriella smugly smiled. She turned to once more check on her kids and saw that Taylor was half-asleep in his stroller, while Ava was trotting back towards her mother and Jeremy grumpily. Connor was following her with a smug look on his face.

She turned towards Jeremy and motioned for him to look over at the three children. Both laughed at the sight.

"I think you should get them back, before Ava decides to tear someone's head off," Jeremy said with a chuckle.

Gabriella made a face as she turned to her kids. "Time to go home, kids. Say goodbye to Mr. Wilkes."

Connor waved and Ava cheerfully called, "Bye-bye Mister Wilkey!"

Gabriella grinned at Jeremy as she pushed Taylor's stroller along and walked towards the crosswalk. She turned one last time before she crossed the walk to watch Jeremy turn to walk inside the school. She couldn't erase the ache in her heart as she watched him turn away. She began to wonder if she had more than friendly feelings for her male friend. She knew that he meant a great deal to her. He had become a huge joy in her life—a joy that she hadn't had since…well Troy left.

Gabriella dismissed the feelings in her mind and tried to reassure her head's desires. _He's just a friend. _

She couldn't stop thinking about Jeremy throughout the rest of the evening. _What does this 'date' mean? _Shewondered. She tried to rationalize that it wasn't a date, but she knew that she looked at it that way. It was a date. Jeremy wanted it to be a date.

She did too.

She wondered if she could explore her feelings for Jeremy. Could she? Should she? What was the right time to stop grieving over someone? Was there a set time? If there was, could she forget her feelings for Troy?

Gabriella was clueless, and desperate for an answer. Little did she know, that she would soon receive it.

Later that evening, as Gabriella and her children watched the dim sun setting on her patio, she received a call on her cell phone. Gabriella quickly reached for her phone out of her dark, jean pocket and looked at the caller ID; she saw that it was her best girlfriend, Sharpay Evans.

"Hello?" Gabriella asked excitedly as she jumped slightly in her seat. A call from any of her friends was a real treat, especially from Sharpay, who was extremely busy these days. She had taken over Ms. Darbus' job after retiring, but had later received a job as a drama director for a dramatic-arts school in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was her dream job, because it was the highest rated drama program in the state.

"Gabriella? How are you? How are those rugrats?" Sharpay asked enthusiastically.

Gabriella chuckled to herself and quickly responded. "I'm doing fine. The kids are doing great. Connor's loving the second grade. Ava's recently discovered that she loves anything that crawls. And the most exciting news: Taylor has officially taken his first steps," she gushed ecstatically.

Sharpay cooed with delight. "I knew that kid would be running about by the time I'd see him next."

Gabriella laughed, but reregistered Sharpay's sentence in her head. "_By the time I'd see him next"_?

"What do you mean?" Gabriella asked hesitantly. Realization poured over her. "You're coming to town?" She felt her excited voice vibrate through the phone in a high-pitched shriek.

Sharpay giggled as she responded. "Yep! I'm coming next Friday!"

"Really?" Gabriella exclaimed with glee. "I can't wait to see you! I haven't seen you since Zeke got out of the hospital! It'll be just like old times."

"Yeah, just like old times," Sharpay weakly responded. Gabriella noticed the tone in Sharpay's voice change, which made her a bit wary.

"Is everything alright, Shar?"

She heard Sharpay sharply exhale into the phone and then some crackling noise on the other end of the line. Sharpay then spoke. "Hey Gabi? I've gotta get off the phone now. I'm using up the minutes on my phone. You'll be the first stop I make when I get to Albuquerque, okay?"

Gabriella nodded hesitantly. "Alright…I'll see you next Friday."

"'Kay. I'll be there!"

Gabriella sighed as she heard the other line click. She hung up perplexed by Sharpay's strange call. _Why is Sharpay driving down to Albuquerque? And during the school year? _She asked herself as she sunk into her chair on the patio. She watched Taylor struggle against the baby gate that blocked off the two narrow steps to the grass as she mused over her confusion.

Sharpay had been her rock during the week that followed the car accident that claimed her best friend Taylor McKessie's life. Right after the accident, Sharpay was more concerned with Gabriella's emotional state than the fact that the accident took away her ability to walk. Sharpay had later told Gabriella that she was trying to focus on anything but her disability. Gabriella was taken aback by this extra-ordinary measure of generosity and friendship, but never thankful for it, either. Sharpay had changed dramatically from the self-absorbed teen she had met during the spring of her sophomore year, to the mature, generous woman she was today.

Just thinking of Sharpay's kindness, brought Gabriella to tears. She didn't deserve any sort of friendship from Sharpay. After Troy woke up from his coma that he slipped into after the car accident, Gabriella all but ignored Sharpay. She became sucked into her dependant relationship with Troy, and became less of a spunky individual who cared about her friends and into more of a clichéd teen that cared only of her boyfriend, and blew her friends off. She was so blinded by her own problems, that she couldn't see how the reality of Sharpay's situation had begun to settle into Sharpay's psyche. She had suffered so much more than Gabriella could even dream of. She couldn't image never being able to walk again.

It had all come to a head her senior year when she became pregnant. Her stupidity and naivety was unbearable to think of. How could she have thought that she could just ride off into the sunset with Troy and her new baby without any troubles? What had happened to the practical, smart young woman that she used to be? It was no wonder that her friends barely called her. She brought every bit of anguish that had happened to her on herself.

The tears that had glistened her eyes earlier had now begun to stream freely down her face. Connor, how was happily playing with his toy cars with his younger sister, had glanced up at his mother. He immediately appeared worried.

"What's the matter, Mommy?" Connor asked as he jumped up from his miniature cars.

Gabriella weakly smiled as she motioned for Connor to come near. She carefully pulled her son onto her lap. "Do you remember my old friend, Sharpay?"

Connor nodded thoughtfully. "Uh-huh. She's the pretty one in the wheelchair, right?"

"Yes, that's her."

Connor nodded to urge his mother on.

Gabriella smiled slightly and began to stroke her son's light honey-brown bowl-cut that reminded her so much of Troy. "She's coming to town to spend some time with us. She'll be here next week."

"Oh," Connor replied as he examined his mother's face. He was always a sensitive boy, but even more so after his father left. Gabriella knew that he tried so hard to please her. She felt that this behavior was an attempt on his part to keep her from crying. It warmed her heart to know how considerate he was; yet it made her even more miserable. Her children could see through her façade and her measly attempts at normalcy.

As if Connor could detect her mixed feelings over Sharpay's arrival, he became extremely quiet as he carefully used his small fingers to wipe away Gabriella's tears. "Don't cry, Mom. Everything will be OK. I'll tell that Sharpay to go away."

Gabriella chuckled as she tenderly took Connor's hands away from her face. "No, that's alright Sweetie. I want Sharpay here."

"B-but she made you cry," Connor said a bit angrily. He had a confused expression on his face as he mused over his mother's intentions.

"No, she didn't make me cry," Gabriella replied carefully. She saw that Ava was coming nearer after being spooked but Connor's angry voice. Gabriella turned back to her son. "I made myself cry thinking about how good of a friend Sharpay is."

Connor's frustrated eyes relaxed. "Oh."

Ava, who never wanted to be left out of anything, began to pull on Gabriella's knee in attempt to climb up onto her lap. Gabriella chuckled as she pulled her daughter onto her lap. She then called Taylor over to join her crowded lap.

As she clutched her children to her lap, she began to tell them a story.

"Long ago, a princess was visiting a far-away kingdom called Colorado. She was attending a party in which she met a very handsome prince. This prince had a smile that could take the young princess' breath away. They fell in love, but the princess and the prince were only visiting this kingdom, so they didn't think that they would ever see each other again. They two had to say goodbye to each other, which was a very difficult thing to do for the princess.

"A few weeks later, a miracle happened. The Queen was transferred to a new kingdom called Albuquerque. That is where the princess found the prince again. They fell even deeper in love and met many new friends. However, they faced a difficult situation. One of their friends was in an accident. This friend went away to the ultimate kingdom in Heaven where she will live forever. This made the prince and princess very sad, and their friends were also sad. However, they all moved on with their lives. The prince and princess were so in love that they decided to get married. They had children. However, the prince had to go defend his kingdom from very angry people. He left the princess and his children…"

Gabriella felt herself trail off. She couldn't finish the story. It had no happy ending. She glanced down at her children. Taylor and Ava were fast asleep, while Connor's eyes were heavy. She decided to skip the horrible ending and put the children to bed.

A/N: A/N: Okay, so I have recently gotten into the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer (who, btw, is a FANTASTIC writer and I hope to someday have even an ounce of her talent and vision), and I have decided that I will include more detail in my stories. So you readers are in for a treat; if you thought I was detailed before, I am going into over-drive with details.

And if you can't tell, I'm trying to correct some unresolved issues that were left in "How Could this Happen to Me" that weren't completely resolved in "Their Broken Road." I honestly think that I butchered the Sharpay paralysis storyline. I am so sorry for disappointing my readers. I plan on fixing most of these problems in this story, so I highly recommend that any fan of "How Could this Happen to Me" continue to read this story to some-what put closure to some hashed storylines I had going in there. Again, I apologize for that. I put most of my frustrations into Gabriella's inner monologue of this chapter. Most of her regret over being self-absorbed was my regret over not exploring Sharpay's or Ryan's or Chad's or even Taylor's parents' storylines. I think I was so focused on making a Troyella story, that I overlooked vital characters. If I could redo "Their Broken Road," I would have definitely have made it live up to its title. More than one character had a "broken road."

All right; that was my rant over my many regrets. If you actually read all of that, you deserve a big cookie! However, I would appreciate a review. If you could just click on that little button on the bottom left of your screen and type in a helpful review, I would absolutely love that. I gave you a long chapter, so the least you could do is to review it! Is the guilt trip working?


	13. Time to Move On

Chapter 13

The white, clean environment of the hospital always encouraged Gabriella. It gave her a sense of order and protection. Even though she was currently working as a nurse in the messy, bloody ER, Gabriella still felt this overwhelming sense.

However, the sterile environment was frequently interrupted by chaos, pain, and death. It was a struggle to fight to keep her mood entirely professional and unattached, but sometimes work hits home.

A few days after Sharpay called, Gabriella found herself racing around the ER, trying to keep track of every patient. The entire ER had been turned upside-down by a four-car pile-up on a major Albuquerque highway. Gabriella's main focus was to treat each accident victim as quickly as possible. Check for internal bleeding, head trauma, broken bones; administer pain medication; fill out the patient's chart; go to the next patient and repeat. It was a practice that was necessary to adapt, especially when a major crisis occurs, such as this multi-car crash.

The next patient, according to her chart, was a 24-year-old woman with complaints of dizziness and nausea after the crash. Gabriella mentally prepared to check for a concussion and determine the cause of the nausea. She smoothed her awry hair before she swiftly walked past the curtain to greet the woman.

"Hello Mrs. Hunter. How are you feeling?" Gabriella asked her customary question as she glanced over the woman quickly. She had dark blonde hair that seemed sun-streaked by the hot New Mexico weather and was wearing a knee-length skirt and a tank top to complement the smoldering heat outdoors. Her face had small cuts on it, probably due to the impact of the crash.

"I feel alright, I guess," the woman responded warily.

Gabriella noticed the hesitation. "Your chart says you were complaining of feeling nauseous and faint. I'm going to go ahead and take some cultures from your throat and draw some blood for testing."

Mrs. Hunter nodded slowly and watched as Gabriella carefully prepared the needle to draw her blood.

"Are you wishing for me to call your husband, Mrs. Hunter?"

The woman shook her head. "He's overseas right now," she responded hesitantly. Gabriella could sense the anxiety inside of this patient.

"Is he on a business trip?" Gabriella pried, as she tied an elastic band around her arm so that she could find the best vein to draw blood from.

"No," she sighed. "He's in the marines. He won't be done with his tour for another five months, and I haven't seen him for over a year."

Gabriella felt the shock wane over her. It wasn't that she didn't expect that her husband either left her or was in the military, but it was the simple fact that she met someone who was in the same boat as her.

Careful to not let in any sort of personal pain, she quietly finished drawing her blood. "I'll be back in about an hour with your results, Mrs. Hunter," Gabriella said as she turned to leave.

"I know why I'm nauseated," the woman said so softly that it took a few seconds for Gabriella to register that it was said out loud.

"Excuse me?" Gabriella said as she turned back around.

The pale woman painfully smiled and responded, "I know why I'm throwing up so much. I'm pregnant, or at least I think I am."

Gabriella looked at her, puzzled. "I thought you said you haven't seen your husband in over a year."

"I haven't," she said as a tear ran down her face. "The baby wouldn't be my husband's child."

Gabriella, alarmed, responded, "You had an affair? Why? How _could_ you do that?"

The woman seemed shocked by Gabriella's statement. "I—"

Before Mrs. Hunter could respond, Gabriella interrupted. "How could you have had an affair? Think of all the sacrifices your husband has made. I'm sure he goes to sleep dreaming about you. He's hopeful every time he writes or calls that he'll be able to be with you and his family once again, and you give him hope by responding. You are disgusting! I can't even believe you would do something like that! Have some respect!"

Gabriella was past hysteria at that point. She was sure that if the orderly and the desk clerk had not come in when they did, she would have done something beyond the regrettable things she had just said to the bewildered woman.

"Why did you do that Gabriella? How could you treat a patient like that?" her manager, Natasha, asked her a few hours after the incident. She had to be taken into an exam room to be calmed down by her coworkers after she had yelled at the woman. For the next hour and a half, nearly every coworker chewed her out before she finally was to face Natasha, who was not only her manager, but also her friend. It was a bit embarrassing to be chastised by her friend for her actions, but she knew Natasha was just doing her job.

Gabriella could only shrug at nearly every question each person had asked her. She did not have a clue why she said what she said. A rage of anger for this supposed "military wife" had taken over her. This woman was her age; she was alone and desperate for love—she and Gabriella were in similar situations. However, what separated Gabriella from this cheating wife? Why did she not just go out and sleep with any man she wanted to?

She had no clue why, but Natasha seemed to.

"Gabriella, I know you've been having a tough time with the death of your husband, but treating a patient like you did was not only irresponsible, it was uncalled for. Mrs. Hunter did not deserve to be spoken to like that."

"She cheated on her husband, does that deserve to be swept under the rug?" Gabriella interjected.

"It is not for us to judge," Natasha replied quietly. "You know the rules. We don't pry into a patient's private life."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Please, I barely pried. She came out and said that the baby wasn't her husband's."

"Yes," Natasha replied. "But we don't know if she did have an affair or not. She could have been raped or maybe her husband has fertility issues and wished to use a sperm donor. She could have even been preparing to be a surrogate mother. We don't know what the case is."

Gabriella sighed as she massaged her temples. "I feel terrible," she replied defeated.

"Gabriella," Natasha started. "You've been under terrible stress. You have three kids to take care of, you lost your husband, plus the fact that you have a full-time job, it's enough to drive anyone into temporary insanity."

Gabriella smiled. "Only temporary?"

She smiled back. "You aren't quite ready to be committed yet."

Gabriella nodded grateful for the reassurance.

"When was the last time you felt truly happy, Gabriella? Can you even remember?"

She shook her head. "It's been such a long time."

Natasha nodded. "Then I think it's time for you to inch forward with your life. Buy a new outfit, take a vacation, meet new people—maybe even a man. I'm not saying that you need to jump head first into the dating scene, but start out slowly."

"You're saying that I should start seeing other people?" Gabriella questioned. "You make it sound like I'm getting over a one-month fling. Natasha, I'm getting over the love of my life. It's not as simple as jumping into dating again."

"I realize that, but I've seen a change in you over the last couple of months. You seemed to have begun the process of letting go. I've even seen you smile a few times. And you know what? Besides today's little fiasco, you've been making progress," Natasha stated as she folded her hands on her office desk.

"You really see all that?"

Natasha nodded. "I think that your outburst today was your conscience's way of sorting through the resolution of your emotional baggage. You're torn between finally letting go of Troy, or moving on with someone new."

"Someone new?"

Natasha smiled. "I must admit that I listened in on one of your phone conversations with your son's teacher. His name's Jeremy, right? You lit up like a Christmas tree when you were on the phone with him the other day."

She felt herself blush as she bashfully smiled.

"I know you like him. I think you should go out on a date. See how it feels," Natasha stated bluntly. Gabriella brightly smiled as she let out a sigh. Natasha smiled as she began, "Now that that's settled, I think we should once again go over our personal calls policy here at the hospital, Nurse Bolton. You do realize that employees can only accept calls on an emergency basis…"

Gabriella laughed as she interrupted, "Okay, I get it. No more calls."

Natasha warmly smiled. "I'm glad we have an understanding. Now, please take the rest of the day off and go out with this teacher for goodness sakes!"

Gabriella nodded as she got up to leave. Although the circumstances behind this meeting were not the best, she was very grateful for it. She finally decided that now was the time to move forward with her life. Jeremy's presence in her life could be a very real possibility. However, could she really be able to leave behind Troy?

A/N: So, so sorry! I have another chapter after this one, just for the fact that I got this out so very late.


	14. Making the Decision

Disclaimer: I own nothing, other than the characters of Jeremy, Connor, Ava, Baby Taylor, and Natasha.

After putting the children to sleep, which proved to be a hard task, as she had to carry Taylor and Ava, and also half-dragging Connor to his bedroom, Gabriella then settled in to watch a bit of TV, but she couldn't focus on it.

As she flipped through the channels for what seemed to be the thousandth time, she thought of her "date" with Jeremy. Her feelings were so confusing; they seemed to be garbled up in one, big emotional garbage can. She sighed in frustration as she turned the TV off. She then got up to do a bit of stress cleaning. She started with clearing off the kitchen counter of all clutter that seemed to pile up every time she turned around.

She smiled as she picked up a tiny tooth that Connor had just lost. She then turned to rummage through a drawer to find a plastic baggie that she could store the tooth in. As she was doing that, she heard a hard bang on her front door.

"Shoot!" Gabriella cursed under her breath as she shut the drawer, wary of her sleeping children upstairs.

She briskly walked towards her foyer, all the while cursing the person at the door for banging at the door at this time of night. She quickly unlooked the deadbolt, fully prepared to chew the person out for her disregard of her sleeping children. The only person she could think of to come at this time of night was her mother.

"Mami…." Gabriella started before even glancing up at the man who was standing there. She gasped when she realized who it was.

It was Jeremy.

He rolled his eyes as he watched her shocked expression. "Do I look like your mother?"

Gabriella shot him an angry gaze as she pulled the large man inside her house. "What are you _doing_ here, Jeremy?" she hissed as she glared up at his face. "It's…" Gabriella paused as she checked her practical nurse's watch on her wrist. "It's nearly eleven o'clock at night!"

Jeremy sighed as he watched Gabriella turn to head back to the kitchen. He began to follow. "I…well…I feel so stupid for this…" Jeremy said as he reached the kitchen counter and leaned on it as he watched Gabriella start to clean out a soaking pan that was leftover from that evening's dinner.

Gabriella glanced up and held Jeremy's green-eyed gaze at her. "Is there a reason why you came to my door at this hour? I'm pretty sure you didn't forget anything. I kind of rode home in your car."

"Yes…right. My car," he mumbled as he began to play with Taylor's teething ring that had been left nearby.

Gabriella rolled her eyes at Jeremy's boyish nervousness. "The kids are asleep, Jeremy. They're not going to hear what you have to say."

He glanced up at Gabriella's awaiting face. "No…never mind. I'm sorry to bother you."

Jeremy turned to walk towards the door. Puzzled, Gabriella reached out to stop him.

"You come over at this hour just to say 'never mind'?"

Jeremy sighed as he ran his free hand, the one that Gabriella wasn't hanging onto, through is hair. "Yeah. I'm sorry."

"There's something more, Jeremy," Gabriella responded persistently. "What did you come over hear to say?"

Jeremy gave her a coy look, but just shook his head as he struggled against Gabriella's iron hold on his hand.

Gabriella pulled back, by now angry at his strange behavior. "Just tell me damn it!"

Jeremy's eyes flared as he turned to face her. "I didn't come here to talk."

"Then why did you come?" Gabriella demanded angrily.

"Because I came to do…" Suddenly Jeremy grabbed the back of Gabriella's head and pulled her to his lips. The sudden action surprised Gabriella. What was even more perplexing was that she didn't attempt to fight back.

Jeremy's nerves—which were so apparent seconds earlier—were soon dismissed as he pulled his free arm around Gabriella's waist, pulling her in closer and closing the gap between the two.

Nerves—and rational thoughts—seem to disappear also for Gabriella. She found herself responding to Jeremy's surge of boldness by relaxing her grip on his hand and entwining her fingers with his.

It was sweet, yet demanding and sweltering, all the while the demand for more was heightened. Self-control was all but lost. It seemed to take everything Gabriella had inside of her to pull back from Jeremy.

"Wait," Gabriella murmured against Jeremy's lips as she let go of his hand and the back of his neck.

Reluctantly, Jeremy pulled back. He studied Gabriella's flushed, pained face. "Is it the kids? I'd understand if you didn't want to here…" he trailed off as Gabriella shook her head.

"It's not that Jeremy. Well…the kids are part of it, but they aren't the main reason why."

Jeremy sighed as he rubbed his swollen lips. "What's the _main _reason then? Is it Troy?" he guessed.

Gabriella looked away, the sting of his name enough to silence her. Jeremy waited for her response, but after several moments, he realized that her silence was more than enough conformation. He wiped his hand over his face, as he turned away, wounded by her rejection. "You said you were trying to get over him," he said with a shaky voice, as if the shock of the passion was finally hitting him.

She studied Jeremy's defeated expression. She had told him too much that night about her feelings on Troy. It was now coming back to haunt her.

"I'm sorry, Jeremy." Rather than the strong, emotionless voice she was trying to convey in her statement, it merely came out as a pitiful whisper. "I'm so sorry. I'm trying. I really am; I just can't fully let go of him yet. Please…" She was utterly pathetic. She knew what she was doing, and it was wrong on so many levels. Gabriella was acting like some cheap tease; stringing Jeremy along just for companionship.

She tried to reach out to him, but once her shaky fingers touched his arm, he flinched as if her touch burned him. Tears that Gabriella had tried to hold back were now brimming over her eyes. "Jeremy—"

He then turned, fully facing Gabriella, and stared intensely down at her. Intimidation waned over her as she fought to regain control of her torn mentalities. One was campaigning for Gabriella to throw Jeremy out and to forget his existence. The other was to throw Jeremy onto her living room couch and make love to him, then and there.

Before she knew it, she had made her decision…

A/N: You enjoyed that cliffy…right? I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving.


	15. John Doe

Chapter 15—"John Doe"

Pain.

It seemed to swell through his body. Not just an ache at a certain point, but it felt as if a thousand knives were stabbing his body at the same time.

He couldn't even remember why he was in pain. He sat there, silently screaming, wondering where the man was who brought him here.

It was an American hospital, he knew. Relief swelled over him. He was an American, that much he knew. The rest was blurry, like his name. When the man who found him in that abandoned building asked for his name, he said the first one that came to mind.

"Z-Zeke," he responded. "Zeke Baylor."

The name was so fresh in his mind. Yet he wasn't sure if that was his name. For some reason, as his reflection in the metal bedpan stared back at him, the name "Zeke" just didn't seem like it could fit him.

The man who had found him, a U.S. military officer, was walking over to his bed. The officer stopped, and saluted to him. "Private—Baylor?" the officer inquired.

"Yes?" he felt himself respond hoarsely.

"We have a problem, Private," the officer declared dully.

"A problem?"

"Yes, there seems to be another Private Zeke Baylor is walking around. Either it's the one who was honorably discharged nearly a year ago, or it's you," the officer said. "What's your real name, Private?"

"I—I don't know."

"Do you remember anything at all?"

He shifted through his memories. Mainly, his memories were of that God-forsaken abandoned building he was held prisoner in. Yet, one memory—well, it was actually a dream in which he had held onto through out his time in that building—was of a beautiful woman with dark, curly hair. She was pregnant at the time, and she was holding a toddler in her arms while waving at someone. It was like a stilled picture he had framed in his mind. He had no clue who this woman or the toddler was, but every time he thought of them, his heart seemed to skip a beat.

"Well?" the officer asked in impatience, breaking him out of his trance.

"I really only remember that building," he responded slowly.

"And that's all?"

"Well, I do remember the name of 'Zeke Baylor'—that has to be important. I also remember a woman—well I think I remember her, it may have been a dream."

"Go on," the officer said as he sat down on a nearby stool.

"Well, I recall a woman standing in a crowd, wearing a flowy, white dress and holding a baby. She's also pregnant, but I'd bet she's only a few months along. She's beautiful too—long, dark, curly hair with a gorgeous smile. I just can't put a name to her, so I've just always called her 'Pretty Lady,'" he recalled.

The officer nodded, writing down the notes in his travel-sized notepad. "Well, I was hoping for sometime a bit more concrete, but this will have to do. We're going to discharge you in the morning and send you back to the States. I'm sorry, Son, but we have no idea if you're an officer or a civilian. We'll try to search through the databank to find something, but in the meantime, try to remember something important."

He nodded as the officer turned to leave. "Wait," he found himself shouting at the officer.

The officer turned and faced him. "Yes?"

"What's your name, Officer?"

"Lt. Mike Coleman," he responded proudly.

He nodded. "Thank you Lt. Coleman for helping me."

Coleman smiled. "You remind me of one of my soldiers in my platoon. Like you, he was a brave, upstanding guy. I'm just glad you didn't have the same fate as poor Bolton."

"Bolton?"

"Yeah, Private First Class Troy Bolton. Saved my life, that son-of-a-bitch. He should have been promoted for that bravery, but he along with nearly all my platoon was killed. I still have nightmares to this day about it," Lt. Coleman said.

"What happened?"

"Bolton was trying to save some kid who had run into this rickety, decrepit building. He was trying to make sure the kid was safe. Unfortunately, the building was full of terrorists, who overpowered us all, gagged, blindfolded, and started shooting at us. It was terrible.

"At one point, I heard feet approaching me. I then heard a pistol cock. I have never been so scared in all my life. Luckily, right before it happened, I heard someone yell, and then I heard shots fired. Then, after about a minute, it was silent.

"It stayed that way for nearly an hour and then, I heard noises, so I decided to play dead, just in case. I then felt myself being carried away and put into the back of what I think was a large van. After traveling in that for about 10 minutes, we were thrown into what I later discovered was a ditch. I tried to free myself for hours, but the ropes were so tight. I finally gave up and decided to sleep for a bit. I was woken up hours later by shouting. I later learned it was the U.S. army. They had discovered almost every soldier in my platoon in this ditch. Blood from one soldier, Bolton, was found, but his body was not recovered. A similar incident happened to another soldier in my platoon, but we found his remains buried in an unmarked grave nearly 5 months afterwards. Only Pt. Zeke Baylor, the same one you claimed to be, and I survived.

Suddenly, Lt. Coleman's face scrunched up. He began to glare at the nameless man, "John Doe" as he would be formally known as until his identity was found, in front of him, wondering if there was a chance…_They never found his body…_, Coleman thought. _No. Bolton's dead. He's been dead for nearly two years. This guy can't be Bolton._

"John Doe" seemed to have straightened up in his hospital bed, despite his broken body. "I'm really sorry, Lieutenant. That's really terrible what happened to you."

Coleman sucked in a large breath as he nodded. He then straightened up and started, "Well, like I said, we'll be shipping you off to the States soon, so you should pack what you have."

"Doe" smiled. "Well, at least I'll be traveling light."

"Yeah," Coleman laughed. He then nodded to "Doe". "The army should be able to help you get your life back. Now, the doctors hope your amnesia will improve, but if it doesn't, the army likes to take care of their own. You'll see all the best doctors, and we'll try to get you set up in an apartment or something until you're better."

"Thanks for everything, Lieutenant."

"And if you need anything," Coleman started as he reached for his notepad. He began scribbling on it, ripped the page out, and handed it to "Doe." "Just call me at this number. I'll be taking leave soon, and I'll be in the States."

"Doe" smiled as he read over the paper. "You really don't need to do that, Lieutenant."

"I know," Coleman said as he turned to leave. "But I feel like I owe you it."

Coleman began walking away, his mind circling the idea of stopping the doctor and asking for a DNA sample of "Doe." He just seemed so much like Bolton. There was even a resemblance, although his face was scarred after enduring beatings from those terrorist-bastards. It just was so unreal. Coleman did have alternative motives for giving this pseudo-Bolton his number; he hoped that he could keep tabs on him to make sure that his suspicions were true. And if he was right, he could be making a difference in the life of this man and his family's.


	16. A Life Filled With Thousands

Chapter 16—A Life Filled With Thousands

Thousands of miles away, Gabriella had seemed to finally fill the void that had been left in her heart.

"I think I love you," Jeremy said softly as he traced his finger along Gabriella's jaw line. As cliché as it may seem, the world seemed to slow for Gabriella. This moment was all that mattered.

Gabriella smiled sweetly, almost innocently. "Jeremy—I think I feel the same way."

"Really?" His face lit up as he questioned the dark-haired beauty that was curled up next to him. "Are you sure?"

She chuckled as she pulled the covers up around her naked body. She began to trace circles on Jeremy's chest. "I'm sure. Are you?"

Jeremy grinned. "Let's just say this: No man is happier or more in love than me right now."

It felt so natural to Gabriella. Curling up with this beautiful man who had been nothing but supportive of her. He had become her best friend; almost her life. How could she not love him?

_Knock, knock._

Gabriella nearly fell off the sofa when she heard the soft rapping on her front door. "I've got to get that," she said as she pulled the covers up over her breasts. She tried to maneuver a way to get dressed as she kept herself covered. Jeremy just chuckled as he gently yanked the blanket out of her hands and helped her dress.

"You know, I know what you look like naked, Gabriella."

She just rolled her eyes as she zipped up her jeans. "Put your clothes on Jeremy."

Jeremy happily complied. Gabriella then took off for the front door, still struggling to yank her other arm.

"I'm coming," Gabriella muttered as the knocking on the door became louder.

As she dreamily floated to her home's entryway, she wondered who would be arriving at her house at such a late time. She couldn't imagine who would be at her door at this hour. She quickly checked her watch before opening the front door. Her watch read a quarter after 1 AM.

"Gabriella?" the voice asked as she held the door open. Darkness covered the face of the owner of this voice, which was a timid, soprano squeak.

"Yes?" Gabriella asked, attempting to register the voice. Realization poured over her as the figure rolled herself through the door. It was Sharpay.

"Sharpay? Oh…" Gabriella smacked her head as the phone call from Sharpay flooded back into her memory. This was the day that Sharpay was coming to visit.

"So you forgot?" Sharpay stated as her eyes studied Gabriella's disheveled appearance.

Trying to regain composure, Gabriella squawked out a lame excuse of being too busy. Sharpay nodded as she glanced over Gabriella's shoulder.

"I can see why you're so busy," Sharpay tisked as Jermey came into Gabriella's view.

Embarrassed, Jeremy quickly slid past the two. "Gabi, I should probably get home. I've been putting off some assignments that have to get graded. I'll see you Monday?" he said as he glanced over at Sharpay, mortified.

"Yeah," Gabriella stated. "See you then."

Jeremy quickly gave Gabriella a peck on her cheek and nearly ran out of the door.

Thick silence ensued for several moments after Jeremy's departure. Regaining some composure, Gabriella finally broke the ice.

"Do you want something to drink, Shar? I know I could use one."

Sharpay nodded once, and followed a nervous Gabriella into the kitchen.

"What'll it be? A glass of wine…scotch…brandy?"

"Wine's fine for me. I'd prefer white, but if you don't have it, I'll just have whatever you're having," Sharpay responded calmly.

Gabriella nodded as she fluttered around her small kitchen, searching for everything from wine glasses to crackers with cheese. When she finally settled down, Sharpay burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Gabriella asked, although she felt like she knew the answer.

Sharpay gave her a look and shook her head. "You know, I'm happy that you've moved on and everything, but next time you decide to blow me off in order to have sex, please tell me so that I don't have to walk in on the awkward post-sex part."

Gabriella joined Sharpay in her laughter. "I'm so sorry, Shar," she stated as she leaned down to hug her wheelchair-bound friend.

"Before I completely forgive you, you have to spill everything—and I mean _everything_—about this 'Jeremy' guy."

Gabriella found herself blushing at her old, high school friend's eagerness to know every detail of her love life. It was strange how comfortable Gabriella had begun to feel as she began to launch into the all-night girl talk that was bound to ensue. Sharpay had developed into one of her closest girlfriends, especially after the difficult death of her best friend Taylor. Over the years, the relationship had dwindled, not only due to different schools, but different lifestyles. Sharpay, although had dated many different men, was predominately single with no children. Her last serious relationship had ended less than a year ago with not so-great results. On the other hand, Gabriella had only had one serious relationship in her life: Troy. She had married him young, settled down quickly and had his children.

Although she absolutely adored her children and her life, occasionally Gabriella had wished that she had a life similar to Sharpay's. It had certainly been hard to watch all her friends go out every night to party, go to football games, worrying about dates to homecoming, etc. All the while, Gabriella was forced to worry about bills, her job, whether or not the babysitter would show up, rushing to the hospital at midnight because Connor was having trouble shaking the flu, and marital problems with Troy. It wasn't always peaches and cream. Sometimes she just wished for a way out…

However, Gabriella wasn't one to dwell on her problems. She had been dealt these cards and she was going to play her hand to the fullest of her ability. Nevertheless, this experience with Jeremy tonight, the way she could just easily make love to him, it was unchartered territory. He was the only other man, besides Troy, that Gabriella had ever had sex with.

"Don't get me wrong, the sex was great…Jeremy's great—I love him," Gabriella said with a sigh.

"What?" Sharpay responded, her eyes nearly bulging out her sockets. "You love him? It's that serious?"

Gabriella nodded with a shy smile. "I know it's crazy, but he's the first man since Troy that's ever made me feel…like it's okay, you know?"

Sharpay shook her head. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I guess…he doesn't see me as just another wounded soul. He enjoys my company and we don't have to talk about Troy or the kids or my job or whatever. He likes me just as me."

"No one's done that since?"

"No. It feels like I've become defined as just a nurse, or a mom, or the woman who's husband died overseas, or whatever. No one sees me as Gabriella," she expressed as she shifted in the dining room chair.

"Have I done that? Has anyone in the gang done that?"

Gabriella sighed. "I guess so. It feels as if you all see me as a charity case. After the car accident in high school, I felt a bit like a Yoko Ono…like I took Troy away from the gang and basketball. Then I got pregnant…again, I'm further breaking apart our group. Yoko strikes again."

Sharpay giggled at the comparison. "I think that Yoko Ono broke up a billion dollar band, thereby breaking the hearts of millions of fans. You and Troy were in a car accident, which caused emotional damage and it took time to recuperate. You also got pregnant with Connor, who is the most lovable kid that's around. A kid who brings so much happiness to you and to everyone that knows the kid…yeah you're a terrible person."

Gabriella rolled her eyes at Sharpay's sarcastic speech. "You know what I mean, Sharpay. I know you've felt like I destroyed the group's momentum."

"You're right. You did destroy the momentum. I did too. Taylor, Chad, and Troy did also. You can't blame the decline of our group on yourself. We all had a part in it."

"Part of me knows that, but still…what if things were different?'

Sharpay laughed bitterly. "Like what if the accident never happened?"

Gabriella felt her heart skip a beat. "Yeah. Exactly," she responded quietly as she nervously looked over Sharpay's paralyzed body.

"Well…" she started. "I probably could have gone with Ryan to Julliard. I would have gone on to perform on Broadway, made a ton of money, and dance and sing until I died of exhaustion or a heart attack."

Gabriella didn't laugh at her statement. It seemed ironic to her that Sharpay, the one person who lived and breathed theatre would never walk again.

Sharpay, who had laughed at her own comment, became straight-faced again. "Gabriella, even if the accident didn't happen, my chances on succeeding in show business were slim. It's a miracle Ryan was able to. Even if I did, I wouldn't have realized how much I love teaching. I'm good at it too. Bossing around kids all day is what I live for!"

"Are you really happy, or is that what you're just telling me?"

"I am happy. I have a steady job with decent pay. I am an independent woman living on my own. I have a great family and terrific friends. I even have a boyfriend now," Sharpay smiled.

"What?! When did this happen?" Gabriella nearly shrieked, but hushed her tone, since her children were sleeping upstairs.

Sharpay giggled quietly and started, "I met him about three months ago. His name is David and he's a real estate agent—in fact, that's how I met him, he's my real estate agent!"

"No way!" Gabriella giggled. "You, Sharpay Evans, settling down with a real estate agent. Who would have thought?"

"Hey, wait a second. We've been going out for only three months, not three years. Let's wait a while before we start declaring that I'm settling down," Sharpay complained, although Gabriella could tell that she really didn't mind.

It was silent for a few minutes, as the two young women reflected on their own thoughts. Emotion seemed to spill out from Gabriella.

Through tears, Gabriella started, "I can't believe we've come this far."

Sharpay nodded. "It's amazing to think about. But I mean, we're only 25, and by all accounts, our lives are just now starting."

"I know," Gabriella sighed. "But I feel like I've lived a thousand lives, and all completely different ones."

"How so?"

"Well," she started. "There's my life as a nurse; my life as a friend; my life as a single mom. And there's the life I could have had if I had made different choices. I mean, I could have been in graduate school, working towards being a rocket scientist or a chemist by now. And then there's the life I should have had with Troy. Yet, and there's a life I could have with Jeremy," Gabriella listed. She paused for a moment and then added. "They're all so conflicting, especially the last two. I mean, I know I can't pine over Troy forever, but there's a part of me, which I just can't explain, that still feels attached to him."

"Honey," Sharpay started. "You're still in love with him, of course you're attached."

"No, it's more than that. It's like he's still here," Gabriella shook her head and slightly smiled. "Maybe he's looking after us, like a guardian angel."

"So you've finally accepted that he's gone?"

Gabriella balked at the question. "Hey, Shar? It's getting late, and I don't know about you," she said with a fake yawn. "But I need some sleep. I'll show you your room. Thankfully we have a main level room. I don't know how you'd get up the stairs if we didn't."

Sharpay shook her head, but she decided to continue on with that line of conversation and give up on receiving an answer to her question. "I actually have braces on my feet now that I can use to climb up the stairs. Physical therapy's worked wonders on my mobility. I can walk short distances with the help of the crutches and braces."

"That's wonderful, Shar," Gabriella declared as she showed Sharpay the guest room. "There's a bathroom right across the hall," she said as she opened the door across the hall and showed her. I hope you're comfortable. Good night!"

Sharpay watched as Gabriella nearly fled away from her. It was amazing to see that after all this time, and even sleeping with another man, Gabriella couldn't—or wouldn't—get over Troy.

A/N: Okay, I know I've been lame with the updates, but I hope that by updating with two chapters in one weekend, I'm smiled upon.

Happy Easter everyone!


	17. Fort Hamilton

Chapter 17

_It's amazing how far medical technology has come_, John Doe thought to himself as a nurse rolled him out of the hospital. After being in a German hospital for only two and a half weeks, he was being discharged and sent back to the States. He was being sent to Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, NY for further recuperation time. It was also, John felt, a place to drop him off until he remembered his life.

"Okay, Herr Doe," the nurse said in a thick German accent as she braked his wheelchair on the outside curb. "You must wait here until your car arrives to take you to the airport."

John nodded and thanked the nurse, who then promptly left him. About 15 minutes would pass before the car pulled up. Two men helped him into the black Volvo, putting his borrowed wheelchair back in the lobby.

The trip to the airport was uneventful. He had begun to keep a journal—a suggestion one of the on staff psychologists had made. John furiously scribbled every detail of the German landscape into it, trying to remember if he had ever been to Germany before. It was funny how he could remember the capital of Germany—Berlin—, or that a Hamburger was named after a city in Germany. He could remember silly details about it such as how David Hasselhoff performed on the day that the Berlin Wall was torn down. _Hell, I even know that Heidi Klum is from Germany_, he thought. It seemed completely unfair as to how he had no memory of his actual life, but he could remember irrelevant details about Germany.

The commercial flight that John was flying on was crowded. He was on a non-stop flight to the JFK airport in New York. From what he understood, a new recruit would pick him up. John guessed that he was doing this to gain "brownie points" from his drill sergeant.

The flight was long and boring. The stewardess showed a movie—No Reservations—, which was a rip off of Bella Marta, a popular German film, from what he understood from a man sitting next to him.

After sleeping throughout much of the flight, the plane had finally landed. Although he couldn't remember, it felt good to be back on American soil.

He grabbed what little belongings he had carried on and left the plane. Since he didn't check any luggage, John decided that he would just go to the lobby and wait for the recruit to pick him up. While he waited, he flipped through the brochure of Fort Hamilton. It was basically a camp for new recruits. The hospital shrink told him he needed a structured routine to get his memory back. John chuckled to himself, "What could offer a better routine besides the military?" he asked himself outloud.

"I bet prison can," a nearby voice stated. John shot his head up, seeing a young man in army undress. His hair looked to be a recently buzzed cut, but his bright red hair was still visible. The man then gave a quick solute, and then reached for John's hand.

"Hi," he said as John grasped his hand. "My name's Khoury. Drew Khoury. You must be 'John Doe.'"

John nodded in acknowledgement. "That's what people keep calling me," he said jokingly as he reached to pick up his army issued duffel bag.

"Well, Doe," Drew started as he grabbed John's other bag. "From what I've heard, you've had it pretty easy ever since you were found. Don't expect the red carpet treatment once we get back to Fort Hamilton."

John smiled politely. He hadn't expected a "red carpet treatment," just some time to recuperate. "I'll try not to be in the way," he said calmly as he was led out to an army jeep.

Drew wouldn't stop chatting on the car ride to Fort Hamilton. John politely listened and tried his best to answer the probing questions about his forgotten life. Once Drew figured out John's obvious discomfort, he began talking about himself. Drew, a military brat, was one of 8 children. His father had built a career for himself in the Navy, while his mother was a nurse in the Navy. Drew's father was less than enthused when he announced he was going into the Army. In fact, he threatened to disown him if he went through with it.

"That didn't happen," Drew laughed. "He gave up his efforts to persuade me to get into the Navy. I mean, I get sea sick even when I'm just near the sea!"

John laughed. Although he didn't remember his own father, in some strange way, he felt like he could empathize with Drew's plight.

Drew and John had finally arrived at the Fort. It was about 5 PM, and the recruits were all washing up for dinner. Drew told John he had to do the same, so he gave John specific instructions to go to the office of Lt. Coleman.

As John walked the empty halls of Fort Hamilton's main office, he mentally cursed Lt. Coleman. This must be his way of keeping an eye on him, by sending him to the fort he was stationed at.

Once John got to the office, he was shuffled straight into Lt. Coleman's office.

"Well, son," Lt. Coleman started once they were both settled. "I guess you're wondering what you're supposed to do now."

"Yes, Sir," John answered formally.

"While you're here, Doe, you'll be required to train with the new recruits twice a week. The hospital in Germany told us that'll be good for your rehabilitation. It's not going to be anything big, just push-ups, sit-ups, maybe a few mile-long jogs. Of course you'll also be put to work. I'd like you to work in the kitchen a few times a week," Lt. Coleman stated.

John nodded. _This doesn't sound so bad_, he thought.

Lt. Coleman started up again. "Also, I don't know if you've heard, but since being reassigned to Fort Hamilton, I've also been asked to become the area's army recruit. I've talked to the powers that be, and while my assistant recruiter's on leave you've been made my temporary assistant recruiter. Would you like that Doe? It's a pay raise and you get a few perks."

John hesitated. "And you want me for the job? If you don't mind me asking, Sir, why do you want me to do this?"

Lt. Coleman sighed as he stood up from his office desk. "Doe, I can't explain it, but I feel obligated to do right by you. I mean, it's not like I got you a permanent job. You'll be back to doing whatever the hell you want to do at Hamilton by next month. If you don't want the job, I'm sure hundreds of other lucky bastards would love it."

"No, no. I will accept the job, Sir. Thank you for the opportunity."

"You're welcome," Coleman said as he started towards Doe. "Now, I'm giving you your schedule and list of requirements you will be expected to follow. Your room assignment is also in there. Until Ray, my real assistant recruiter, gets back, you'll sleep in your own room. Don't break anything, Doe. Your first day on the job is Monday."

With that, Coleman led John out of his office, shutting the door behind him. John glanced over at his secretary, a middle age woman with puffy hair. She smiled at him and asked, "Will you need help finding Ray's room?"

"If you could just point me in the right direction, that'd be great."

The secretary nodded, giving him brief directions.

"Thanks so much, Ma'am," John said as he left the room, searching for the right hallways. He felt a bit overwhelmed. Just a couple of weeks ago, he was clinging onto life in a dark, cramped room in the Middle East. Now, he was in New York, working as an army recruiter.

Images of his old life flashed through his mind, like a movie on rewind. He didn't understand specifics, but he saw faces and smiles. The beautiful lady was crying, waving her solemn flag.


End file.
